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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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MEMOIRS 



OF THE 



REBELLION 



ON 



The Border, i863, 



BY 



Wiley Britton, 

Late Sixth Kansas Cavalry. 






m 17 1882 J 




CHICAGO: 

GUSHING, THOMAS & CO., PUBLISHERS. 

1882. 



Euteretl according to act of Congress, in the year 18S"2, by 

CUSHING, THOMAS & CO. 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



S 



THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED BY TJIE AUTHOR TO THE MEMORY 

OF THE DECEASED OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS, AND TO 

THE SURVIVING OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS, 

WHO SERVED IN THE FEDERAL ARMY 

ON THE BORDER DURING THE 

LATE WAR OF THE 

REBELLION. 



PREFACE. 

q* 

During the year 1863, 1 chronicled the various events 
mentioned in the following pages, just as they im- 
pressed me by actual observation, or by authorities 
deemed reliable. Though my manuscript contained 
all the facts here presented, except a few notes made 
from official data, I have never considered it in suita- 
ble shape for publication. In rewriting it, I have 
stricken out certain criticisms and passages hastily set 
down in camp or on the march, and I hope that I have 
improved, the expression in various ways. I have en- 
deavored to make the work a panoramic view of 
military operations and events on the borders of Mis- 
souri, Kansas, Arkansas and the Indian Territory dur- 
ing the year 1863. Eighteen years have now elapsed 
since I collected the material from which my Memoirs 
are written, and I have not as yet met with a single 
book pretending to give any kind of an account of 



10 PREFACE. 

the military operations of our army for any one year 
during the rebellion, in that portion of the Trans-Mis- 
sissippi region mentioned in the following chapters. 
Though one might, by rummaging the archives of the 
"War Department, get material enbugli out of general 
orders and official reports of battles, skirmishes, etc., 
in that region, to enable him to write a small volume, 
he would get very little of the kind of material 
that I collected. I noted not only the movements 
of the army with which I was connected, and the 
battles and minor engagements which it fought, 
but I also turned aside now and then to note a 
good many other things ; as, for instance, the 
thoughts and feelings of the soldiers on various sub- 
jects, as reflected in their conversations around their 
camp fires and on the march. I have also given short 
descriptions of the country we marched over and around 
our camps; the jpro and con opinions of officers and 
soldiers in regard to the policy of the Government, in 
emancipating the slaves and of enlisting the freedmen 
into the army. And on several occasions I give a mo- 
ment's thought to natural phenomena, which were sub- 
jects of conversation in the camp. 

The critical reader may, perhaps, think that I have 
in one instance purposely arranged my composition 



PKEFACE. 11 

to show that " coming events cast their shadows be- 
fore." But I have not. The facts, however, show that 
they sometimes do. Gen. Shelby's raid through Mis- 
souri in October, 1863, affords an example. The ap- 
proaching storm was indicated nearly a week before 
the invasion by the main force took place, and we are 
almost made to hear tlie distant rumbling of artillery 
carriages and caissons, and the faint tramping of march- 
ing squadrons. 

Should it be asked why I have allowed eighteen 
years to elapse before printing my chronicles^ I reply 
because I felt that they should have a more careful and 
critical revision than I have been able to give them un- 
til lately, before going to the public. A literary com- 
position even of this kind, like other art compositions, 
as in painting and sculpture, for instance, is always 
susceptible of improvement in the manner of presen- 
tation, without aifecting its truthfulness in regard to 
the matter treated of. I have no doubt but that much 
more trimming and pruning might have been done to 
good advantage. 

I felt such an interest in the anti-slavery cause be- 
fore the war, that Kansas, to me, always meant a prin- 
ciple, and I left home at an early age to join the Free 
State party. It was, therefore, a real pleasure to me to 



12 PREFACE. 

chronicle everything that I thought would be of in- 
terest in the future pertaining to Kansas soldiers in the 
war. At the same time I endeavored to do full justice 
to the soldiers of other States serving with us in that 
section. 

Though, no doubt, I always clearly show where my 
sympathies lie in the discussion of any given question, 
yet I do not believe that I have, in any instance, dis- 
played strong partisan bias. Nor have I been tempt- 
ed to write anything for the purpose of producing a 
sensation. 

Future generations of that portion of the Trans- 
Mississippi country covered by my Memoirs will 
doubtless wish to know what part, if any, the people 
took in the Great War of the Kebellion. But there 
has been, as yet, very little published in permanent 
and accessible form, from which they will be able to 
obtain the desired information, although nearly all the 
able-bodied men were in the Federal and Confederate 
armies, and the storms of war raged furiously over that 
section. A few sketches of one or two campaigns have 
been written, but mere sketches are evanescent and pass 
away in a generation. I hope that I have done some- 
thing towards filling up the hiatus which exists during 
the period of the most exciting events in our history. 



PREFACE. 13 

If the reader will endeavor to put himself in mj 
place during the period covered by my memoirs^ he 
will then see the marches, battles, skirmishes, recon- 
noissances, reviews, etc., as I saw them. As he passes 
about the camp alone from time to time, he will see 
refugees, men, women and children, of almost every 
conceivable color and condition, except that none of 
them appear to be provided with much of this world's 
goods and means of happiness. Passing to the 
hospitals, he will see the sick and wounded, men 
bleeding and mangled and torn by shot and shell, by 
small arms, and by the cuts and thrusts of swords and 
bayonets; he will see them bearing wounds, from the 
slightest contusions to limbs torn from their bodies; 
he will hear men groaning and pleading to die, that 
they may be relieved from their intense suffering; he 
will hear others, with piteous expressions upon their 
quivering lips, praying to be taken to their homes to 
die surrounded by their families and friends; he 
will see comrades who, but a few days before, 
were beaming with health and buoyant with 
life and hope, with the dark shadows of death 
seizing upon their countenances; and the grief- 
stricken forms of the dear ones these noble men 
left behind, when they staked their lives in de- 



14 PREFACE. 

fense of their country and their homes, will rise 
up before him. 

But passing from these scenes of death and woe, his 
mind is permitted to dwell upon other subjects less 
gloomy, and which tend to make the heart glad instead 
of making it ache. On the march and under clear 
blue skies, he will cross silver-eddying streams or 
mountain-brooks leaping and splashing and foaming 
along. And by the wayside he will drink from crystal 
springs bubbling out of the earth, as beautiful as spark- 
ling fountains. The scenes are constantly changing, 
and always interesting to anyone of healthy mind and 
body; and he will see landscapes of every conceivable 
variety, from the forest-covered mountains and hills of 
Arkansas to the grass-covered prairies and plains of 
Kansas, and from the deep green of spring to the rich 
and variegated tints of autumn, and the snow-covered 
ground of winter. 

It is proper that I should express my indebtedness 
to Captain William Gallaher, Colonel Phillips' 
Assistant Adjutant-General, for many kindnesses and 
courtesies in connection with the writing of mjifemoirs 
while we were attached to the Indian division. And 
during the latter part of the year I received from 
General C. W. Blair, the commanding officer of the 



PREFACE. 15 

post of Fort Scott and the District of Southern 
Kansas, many acts of kindness and words of encour- 
agement, for which I feel under deep obligations to 
him. As he was one of the most accomplished orators 
in the State, and a man of rare culture and refinement, 
I have always considered myself fortunate that I made 
his acquaintance, and was permitted to regard him as 
my friend. I have never met any one who came 
nearer my ideal of the perfectly accomplished gentle- 
man than General Blair. 

It will perhaps be thought by some that I have 
given undue prominence to the operations of Colonel 
Phillips' division. But I think that any one who will 
follow the operations of this division, will agree with 
me that I have not magnified its achievements or 
overestimated the merits of its commander. Consid- 
ering the number and kind of troops with which he 
had to operate, and the long line of communication he 
had to keep open from his advanced position, there 
was not perhaps another officer in our army who 
accomplished so much with a single division of 
troops. 

I hope that I have made the work worthy of being 
welcomed by the young men and women who have 
grown up since the war, and who desire to become ac- 



16 PREFACE. 

quainted with the great events in which their fathers 
participated. To thus commemorate the grand achieve- 
ments of the men with whom I served, has afforded 
me real pleasure, for I felt that never before have the 
soldiers engaged in a great struggle deserved such a 
measure of gratitude of future generations as those 
whose heroic actions I have recorded. 

WILEY BRITTOK. 

Washington, D. €., May, 1882. 



CONTENTS, 



-►ji- 



CHAPTER I. 

Resume of the operations of the Army under Gen. Blunt during 
the last three months of 1862— The battles of Newtonia and 
Maysville mentioned — The charge led by Capt. S. J. Craw- 
ford, Second Kansas Cavalry, and capture of Gen. Cooper's 
Artillery— The battle of Cane Hill— Brave charge of Col. 
Lewis R. Jewell, Sixth Kansas Cavalry— His mortal wound 
and death— Remarks on his character— After the battle of 
Cane Hill, Gen- Blunt orders his trains to Rhea's Mills— Cour- 
iers sent to Gen. Herron to bring forward his Division on a 
forced march— Strength of the two divisions— Strength of 
Gen. Hindman's Army— Battle of Prairie Grove described — 
It lasts until after dark— Furious pharging of the Infantry- 
Terrific artillery fire— Gen. Hindman defeated, and retreats to 
Van Buren— Gen. Blunt's trains ordered to Fayetteville— 
Burying the dead and caring for the wounded— Concluding 
Remarks 33 



18 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER II. 

General Blunt's trains return to Rhea's Mills Irom Fayetteville— 
Resources of the country around Rhea's Mills — Furnishes 
forage for the cavalry and transportation animals — Native ani- 
mals stand the service better in that section than animals 
brought from the north — Preparations for the expedition to 
Van Buren — Incidental reflections — The expedition on the 
march — Crossing and recrossing the raging, foaming and 
splashing mountain stream thirty-nine times — An unpleasant 
march for the infantry — The troops bivouac by this stream — 
The march resumed — An outpost of the enemy struck by the 
Federal Cavalry advance — The chase— Battle Dripping Springs 
—Federal charge on the enemy's camp — Flight of the enemy to 
Van Buren — Federal pursuit — Capture of Van Buren — Burn- 
ing of steamboats and supplies — Artillery duel across the Ar- 
kansas River — The enemy shell their own city — Return to 
Rhea's Mills 52 

CHAPTER III. 

The First Division Army of the Frontier moves from Rhea's Mills 
to Elm Springs— All the Federal wounded in the Field Hos- 
pitals at Prairie Grove removed to Fayetteville— General 
Blunt Relieved and starts North— General Schofield takes 
command of the Army of the Frontier — Future Operations to 
be conducted according to West Point tactics — The Army to 
retreat to the Missouri line — Reorganization of the Army — 
Colonel W. A. Phillips to command the Indian Division— A 
Battalion of the Sixth Kansas cavalry and Captain Hopkin's 
Battery to go with it— Grand Review of the Army of the 



CONTENTS. 19 

Frontier by General Scliofield— The author's last visit to his 
brother in the General Hospital at Fayetteville— The Reduc- 
tion of Transportation — Order from War Department for 
Recruiting several loyal Arkansas Regiments— General 
Marmaduke marching on Springfield — The Army of the 
Frontier on the march, except the Indian Division 74 



CHAPTER IV. 

Colonel W. A. Phillips assumes command of the Indian division — 
The author to go with it — The division marches to Maysville 
on the western line of Arkansas — A skirmish with guerrillas— 
A snow storm and difficulty in getting forage— Colonel Phillips, 
not only a military commander but also a governor of several 
Indian tribes — His position requires great executive ability 
— Skirmishes with guerrillas becoming frequent — Bush- 
whackers living in a cave — Remarks on how caves are formed 
— How Stalactites are formed — How stalacmitic matter may 
preserve to distant ages in the future some account of the 
war — In a few years all external evidences of the war will 
have disappeared — Description of the country and of its 
resources — Colored refugees increasing — Their destitute con- 
dition — Col. Phillips' orders — Repairing of the mills — The 
battle at Springfield — Gen. Marmaduke defeated 88 



CHAPTER Y. 

The author at Neosho, Missouri, for a few days — Ante-helium times 

and reminiscences — Description of the town The Grand 

Falls and water-power mills in the country — Fertility of the 



20 CONTENTS. 

soil on the river bottoms — Fencing wliich enclosed most of 
the farms destroyed — About half the people loyal — Indiscrimi- 
nate destruction of property condemned — A double sacrifice 
put upon Missouri loyalists — A picture of desolated homes — 
Guerrilla warfare and Federal losses in the State — The Militia 
occupying Newtonia and fortifying it— Their efficiency — 
Mostly State troops that opposed General Marmaduke at the 
battle of Springfield on the 9th — Flag raising at Neosho — 
The National Flag scornfully regarded by rebels — Geurrillas 
at Granby — The rich lead mines there, but no lopger worked 
— Author infomied of the death of his brother at Fayetteville 
— A mother's picture of a united family _ 107 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Author's return to his division at Scott's Mills — Colonel Phil- 
lips' popularity with his troops — Rebels returning and taking 
the oath of allegiance — Indians make good troops to fight 
bushwhackers — Increase of wild game since the war — A de- 
tachment of Federal troops worsted in a skirmish with guer- 
rillas — Captain Conkey loses eleven men by capture — Guer- 
rilla chieftains commissioned by the Rebel authorities — Com- 
ments on plans proposed by some to break up the guerrilla 
warfare — Sickness and heavy mortality among the Indian 
Refugees at Neosho — Sick and wounded being removed from 
Fayetteville to Fort Scott — The classes of the enemy the Fed- 
erals have to deal with— Bushwhackers — Guerrillas — Detach- 
ments returning to and leaving the State — The regular forces 
in our front — Illustrations — Incidents from the Expedition to 
Lone Jack— The battle of Coon Creek— Concluding remarks 
on the Indians - 125 



CONTENTS. 21 

CHAPTER VII. 

The Indian Division moves to Pineville, Mo- -Remarks on tlie 
physical aspect of the country and its resources — Few dep- 
redations committed considering the general character and 
condition of the refugee camp-followers — The President's 
Emancipation Proclamation — A good many officers and 
soldiers opposed to it — It is a militarj'- necessity — It is just 
and is warmly commended — The Government will soon have 
colored troops in the field — Colonel Phillips' brother wounded 
— Colonel Judson's brigade at Mount Vernon — The Indian 
division marches to Bentonville, Arkansas — Description ot 
the country — Rebel prisoners sent to Springfield— They were 
brought in by loyal Arkansas troops — A meteor of great 
brightnsss observed — Reflections on sidereal worlds and 
meteoric displays — The Indian Delegation go to Wash- 
ington 145 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Colonel Phillips invited to address a Mass Meeting of the Union 
Citizens of Northwestern Arkansas, at Fayetteville— The gi-eat 
difficulty in getting Forage — A Scouting Party returns from 
Van Buren — The Indian Division encamped on the edge of the 
Battle Field of Pea Ridge— An account of the Battle from data 
collected on the Field and from Eye Witnesses — Rebel raid 
on Neosho and Capture of Negroes — A Deserter from the 
Enemy gives Position and strength of their forces— The Ene- 
my's wounded from Prairie Grove at Cane Hill still— Great 
Mortality among them— Skirmish with Bushwhackers — Arri- 
val of Forage Trains from White River — Horses eat each 



22 ■ CONTENTS. 

Others Manes and Tails off— The Small-pox among the Indi- 
ans — Very few of them Vaccinated— Only a few cases among 
the White Soldiers— Remarks on the Disease— The Govern- 
ment should stock a farm with Animals to fm-nish Vaccine 
Virus for the Army - 161 



CHAPTER XI. 

The march to Camp Moonlight — Captain Mefford, Sixth Kansas 
Cavalry, defeats Livingston's band — Grass sufficient for graz- 
ing purposes about Fort Gibson — Supply train reinforced — 
A bushwhacker killed near camp — The people should be 
better informed by proclamation of the Federal purposes — 
Officers for the Fourth and Fifth Indian regiments report to 
Colonel Phillips —No such regiments exist — Criticisms con- 
cerning the matter — Near Rhea's Mills again — Two loyal Ar- 
kansas regiments organized — After a battle the people show 
on which side their sympathies are by their expressions — The 
people of a less haughty spirit than in Missouri — Reconnois- 
sance returned from Dutch Mills — Women and children raise 
their own foodstuffs — The soldiers exchange their surplus 
rations for butter, eggs, &c— The Army ration— A party of 
Union men arrive from Texas— They were hunted by the 
enemy with blood hounds 179 



CHAPTER X. 

April Fool's day— Seven Pin Indians killed at Park Hill, C. N., 
by the enemy in federal uniform — The march to Cincinnati 
on the State line— War paint and yelping of the Indians when 



CONTENTS. 23 

they start out — Commendable conduct of the Indian soldiers 
while in Missouri and Arkansas— The division crosses the 
line into the Indian country — On the march to Park Hill — 
The country becomes more inviting and the vegetation more 
advanced — Rebel scouting party near Fayetteville — Arrival at 
Park Hill and meeting of the Indian refugee families from 
Neosho — Great manifestations of joy and affecting scenes — 
Standwaitie commanding the rebel Indians — Colonel Phillips 
sends out a strong reconnoissance — Webber's Falls — He 
drives the enemy into the Arkansas River and takes Fort 
Gibson — Description of the place — Its importance — The 
beautiful Grand and Verdigris Rivers 197 

CHAPTER XI. 

Fort Gibson the Key to the Indian country — The enemy show- 
ing signs of activity — The troops at Gibson commence to 
build bake ovens — Anxiety for the supply train — Creek 
Indians coming in — The enemy concentrating at Webber's 
Falls — Celebrating the event of hoisting the United States 
Flag at Fort Gibson — A sad accident — Arrival of supply train 
from Fort Scott— Part of Neosho burned — The enemy attack 
Fayetteville and are defeated— A young man as a spy caught 
dressed in a woman's suit — The troops commence to throw up 
fortifications at Fort Gibson — Strength of the Federal posi" 
tion — Engagement at Webber's Falls— Capture of the enemy's 
camp — Assassination of Dr. Gillpatrick — Arrival of rebel 
officers under a flag of truce — They are on business in connec- 
tion with exchanging of prisoners — Reconnoissance of Colonel 
Schaurte to the Arkansas line — Colonel Harrison abandons 
Fayetteville — Colonel Phillips reviews his division 313 



24: CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XII. 

The author sent with dispatches to Colonel Harrison at Cassvllle, 
Missouri — The first night's march in a storm of thunder and 
lightning — The next morning on the battle-ground of Locust 
Grove — Account of the battle and of the capture of Colonel 
Clarkson's command — Passing over the ground of an exciting 
chase of last year — Camp in the forest — On the look-out for 
the enemy — In Missouri— Arrival at Cassville — Detention 
at Cassville — The troops there daily expecting to be at- 
tacked — Large number of troops, including the State militia, 
in Southwest Missouri — Activity of the militia — The First 
Kansas colored infantry organized, and at Baxter Springs — 
Remarks on arming the freedmen — Many small tracts being 
cultivated in Missouri — By whom — On the march to Fort 
Gibson — A fight with Guerillas —Stopping in a lonely re- 
treat—Return to Fort Gibson 231 



CHAPTER XIII. 

The enemy occupying the heights south of the Arkansas River in 
sight of Fort Gibson — Picket firing across the river all day 
long — Strength of General Cooper's force — He is preparing to 
capture Colonel Phillips' supply train — Name of post of Fort 
Gibson changed to Fort Blunt — Colonel Phillips contending 
single-handed with two Generals of the enemy — Hard ser- 
vice for the cavalry — Capture of horses and mules from the 
enemy — Activity in the enemy's camp^— The enemy kill the 
Federal pickets, and capture a good many animals — The bat- 
tle — Enemy driven from the field and pursued — Recapture of 
some animals — Large force of the enemy cross the Arkansas 



CONTENTS. 25 

Kiver, and marcli to meet the Federal supply train — Convales- 
cent soldiers coming in from Talilequah — The troops move 
inside the fortifications at Fort Gibson — The engagement at 
Eapid Ford, Sunday afternoon — Colonel Phillips intended the 
movement only as a demonstration 251 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The enemy makes a night attack on the Federal supply train — 
Gallant charge led by Colonel Phillips, and total route of the 
enemy — Only a sutler's wagon partially plundered — The 
enemy had another force which failed to co-operate — The pay- 
master paying off the troops — The Government should adopt 
a system to enable officers and soldiers to send their money 
home — Activity noticed in the enemy's camp again — The 
Arkansas River rising — Friendly conversations between Fed- 
eral and Rebel Pickets — The Federal supply train returns to 
Fort Scott with a heavy escort — Engagement between Living- 
ston and the colored troops at Baxter Springs— The enemy 
anxious to know if the colored regiment is coming down — A 
woman takes one of the enemy's horses and comes into the 
Fort— Colonel Phillips to be reinforced— Skirmish near Park 
Hill— Standwaitie's Indians in the northern part of the 
Nation. 266 

CHAPTER XV. 

An agreement in regard to the cessation of picket firing — Mostly 
young men in the army — They have no Alcestis to die for 
them — General Cooper's army moves back twenty miles, 
perhaps to find better grazing — A rebel reconnoitering force 



26 CONTENTS. 

west of the Fort— General Cabell's force near Cincinnati— 
The Indians harvesting— The wheat crop good, what there is 
of it — Major Foreman after Standwaitie— Engagement on 
Green Leaf prairie — The enemy finally driven from the field 
— Federal and Eebel pickets in swimming together — The 
Federals exchange coffee for tobacco — Desertion of rebej 
soldiers — Rebel discipline believed to be more severe in some 
respects than the Federal — Remarks on flogging and severe 
discipline — Major Foreman with six hundred men sent to 
meet Federal supply train — The enemy preparing to attack it 
again — An Indian prophet and the superstitions of the 
Indians 234 



CHAPTER XVI. 

The rebel pickets shout across the river that the Federal supply 
train is coming — Another rebel force gone to meet the Federal 
supply train — Movements of the Confederate armies in 
the East as reported by rebel pickets— Vicksburg closely in- 
vested by General Grant — Federal troops in southwest Mis- 
souri — Federal supply train detained by high water at Neo- 
sho River — Federal supplies running short at Fort Gibson — 
High water in Grand River — Indian women report heavy fir- 
ing in the vicinity of Cabin Creek— General Cabell on the east 
side of Grand River, near Cabin Creek, with artillery — The 
suspense — A National Salute fired in honor of Independence 
Day — Beef and Beans for barbecue— The pinch of hunger — 
Horses and dead rebels floating in the river — Two days' fight- 
ing at Cabin Creek — Gallant charge of the Colored regiment — 
Total rout of the enemy— How the Federal troops crossed 



CONTENTS. 27 

Cabin Creek under fire— General Cabell unable to join General 
Cooper's division on account of high water— Arrival of sup- 
plytrain at Fort Gibson 302 



CHAPTER XVII. 

The Federal supply train returns to Fort Scott— The Battalion of 
the Sixth Kansas Cavalry and the author accompany it — Colo- 
nel Phillips commended for his successful military operations 
— Federal troops with which author has acted for two years 
have been uniformly successful — The colored soldiers anxious 
to meet the enemy— Their physical endurance— Well adapted 
to campaigning in warm climate— Colonel Phillips will be 
able to cross the Arkansas river and attack General Cooper — 
Large quantities of hay should be put up at Fort Gibson- 
Salt works at Grand Saline— Families of English blood cliug 
to their homesteads— On the march up the beautiful Grand 
River country— Looking out for General Cabell's force— The 
escort meets General Blunt at Cabin Creek — Examination of 
the battle-field — Active operations to be commenced against 
General Cooper immediately— The train and escort pass 
the section of Livingston's operations— Arrival at Fort 
Scott 330 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

The battalion of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry to remain at Fort Scott 
a few weeks — News of the battle of Gettysburg and surrender 
of Vicksburg and Port Hudson — Remarks on the pro- 
gress of the Federal arms — Backbone of the Confederacy 



28 CONTENTS. 

broken — Frequent contests between the State Militia and 
guerrilas in Southwest Missouri— Guerrilla w^arfare leads to 
retaliation and personal grudges — Major Livingston, the 
guerrilla leader, killed by the Missouri Militia — Remarks on 
the nature of his operations — Colonel Crittenden, command- 
ing the Militia in Southwest Missouri, after the enemy — Colo- 
nel Cloud on the march to Fayetteville — G-eneral Blunt attacks 
General Cooper's army at Honey Springs— Preparations for 
the battle — Furious charge of the Federal troops — Complete 
rout of the enemy and capture of one piece of artillery, col- 
ors and prisoners — General Cabell came up after the battle 
was over 346 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The enemy burn the Court House and Academy at Carthage — 
County records carried away in Missouri — Rebel guerillas 
near Fort Scott — Rebel women carry information to the 
enemy— Cholera and Small-pox at Fort Gibson— Probable 
cause of Cholera breaking out — A soldier killed by Captain 
Tough— A little too much drunkenness — Major Blair closes 
the whisky shops — Resisting the draft— Great riot in Xew 
York City — Remarks on neutrality — Arrival of Colonel Phil- 
lips from the front- The supply train starts to Fort Gibson- 
Recruiting of the Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry — Large bounties 
paid by the government for recruits— State bounties in some 
of the States — Skirmish between several squadrons of Federal 
troops through mistake — Skirmish with guerillas near Ball- 
town — Appeal of the rebel government for more troops — Des- 
cription of the country around Fort Scott — Recruiting color- 
ed troops •_. 363 



CONTENTS. 29^ 

CHAPTER XX. 

A Post established at Baxter Springs, with a Detachment of Cav- 
alry—Bombardment of Charleston and probable fall of Forts 
Sumter and Wagner— Guerrillas along the Border display, 
ing unusual Activity— Large quantities of Hay being put up 
for the Government at Fort Scott— Burning and Sacking of 
Lawrence by Quantrell— Murder of one hundred and fifty of 
her Citizens— Escape of the Desperadoes into Missouri— Fed- 
eral troops in pursuit— The Guerillas break up into small De- 
tachments—Kansas needs a State Militia— Looking around 
for some one to blame— Generals Ewing and Schofield De- 
nounced—Some favor the wild notion of a Grand Army of 
Invasion, to destroy everything in Missouri for a distance of 
forty miles from Kansas— Folly of the Scheme— Generals 
Cooper and Cabell threatening General Blunt— Paola 
Mass Meeting— Plan of removal of Rebel Families con- 
sidered 332 



CHAPTER XXL 

General Schofield coldly received by the people of Leavenworth 
City— Colonels Jennison and Hoyt speak in Fort Scott— The 
crowd sing "John Brown's body lies mouldering in the- 
grave," &c.— More of General Lane's Grand Army of Invasion 
—Few trophies to bring back— General Schofield issues an 
order against invasion— The Missouri State troops would 
resist it— Battle of Perryville and defeat of General Cooper- 
General Blunt captures Fort Smith— Generals Steele and Da- 
vidson capture Little Rock— Colonel Blair sends out a recon- 
noissance— A new department wanted— General Gillmore- 



30 CONTENTS. 

captures Forts Wagner and Gregg in Charlestown Harbor — 
Sympathizers of the rebellion receive anonymous notices to 
leave the city — Supposed to be the action of the Union League 
— Arrival of General Blunt and Staflf and Colonel Judson — 
The Bourbon County Fair — Activity of the enemy along the 
border again. 397 

CHAPTER XXII. 

General Blunt, Staflf and Escort start to Fort Smith — Two Sol- 
diers killed near Fort Scott by the enemy — Signs of an ap- 
proaching storm — The enemy endeavor to capture or kill the 
Federal pickets, and to make a dash on Fort Scott — General 
Blunt's escort attacked by Quantrell near Baxter Springs, and 
nearly all killed — Colonel Blair with a cavalry force to the 
rescue — Members of the Band burned in the Band wagon— 
The enemj^ defeated by Lieutenant Pond at Baxter Springs — 
The invasion of Missouri by General Shelby, with two thou- 
sand cavalry and three pieces of artillery — The Missouri 
State militia in pursuit of him— The Militia capture his artil- 
lery and disperse his force — General Ewing's force joins in 
the pursuit of the enemy — The enemy driven from the State — 
General John McNeil to take command of the Federal troops 
at Fort Smith — General Lane speaks in Fort Scott — General 
Blunt starts to Fort Smith again 413 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

All quiet along the Border— Lovely Indian Summer — Theory 
accounting for the Smoky condition of the Atmosphere — 



CONTENTS. 31 

Reprehensible conduct of a Detachment on scouting service 
— Discussion over the question, "Who shall be the Com- 
manding General of the District?" — Rebel guerrillas in thevi- 
cinity of Humboldt — Colonel Moonlight takes command of 
the Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry — Lieutenant Josling on a 
scout to Osage Mission — A Cold Wave — Distressing condition 
of Refugees— General Blunt authorized to raise another Col- 
ored Regiment — Citizens of Fort Scott opposed to Colonel 
Jennison taking command of the post — The supply train 
starts South — A Military Telegraph to be constructed to Fort 
Scott — Twelfth Kansas Infantry en route to Fort Smith — Fed- 
eral expedition towards Texas — "Mountain Federals" in Ar- 
kansas — They annoy the enemy 429 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

General Grant defeats the enemy under General Bragg near Chat- 
tanooga — Arrival of a large quantity of Cotton from Fort 
Smith— Supposed crookedness in regard to it — Guerilla bands 
in Southwestern Missouri — How the people manage to keep 
good Animals in some instances — Temporary suspension in 
the Exchange of Prisoners — General Marmaduke, with two 
thousand men, near the Southern line of Missouri — Perhaps 
the last supply train to Fort Smith— General Ewing orders 
the seizure of the Cotton from Fort Smith— Snow Storm — 
Removal of General Schofield probable— Quantrell's forces 
cross the Arkansas River near Fort Gibson, on the way 
North — Were defeated by Colonel Phillips' troops — General 
Price threatens Fort Smith — Attempt of the enemy to spike 
the seige guns at Fort Scott— The Missouri militia defeat 
Quantrell — A large Rebel force in Southwest Missouri — It 
is driven South — Concluding Remarks. 443 



CHAPTER I. 

Resume of the operations of the Army under Gen. Blunt during 
the last three months of 1862 — The battles of Newtonia and 
Maysville mentioned — The charge led by Capt. S. J. Craw- 
ford, Second Kansas Cavalry, and capture of Gen. Cooper's 
Artillery— The battle of Cane Hill — Brave charge of Col. 
Lewis R. Jewell, Sixth Kansas Cavalry — His mortal wound 
and death — Remarks on his character — After the battle of 
Cane Hill, Gen* Blunt orders his trains to Rhea's Mills — Cour- 
iers sent to Gen. Herron to bring forward his Division on a 
forced march — Strength of the two divisions — Strength of 
Gen. Hindman's Army — Battle of Prairie Grove described — 
It lasts until after dark — Furious charging of the Infantry — 
Terrific artillery fire — Gen. Hindman defeated, and retreats to 
Van Buren — Gen. Blunt's trains ordered to Fayetteville — 
Burying the dead and caring for the wounded — Concluding 
Remarks. 

"When I commenced my Memoirs I felt sure that 
shortly after peace should be established between all 
sections of the country, the military operations with 
which I was connected as an humble participant 
would be regarded by many with deep interest. I 
therefore thought it worth while to undertake to 
chronicle the important events that came under my 
notice during the year 1863, as I had done during the 
year 1862 * 

•^Two volumes of my Ms., for 1863, and 1864, were left in the 
Adjutant General's Oflice at Fort Smith, Arkansas, the latter part of 
1864, and are supposed to have been destroyed by fire the follow- 
ing year. 
3 



34 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

I commenced to write the following memoirs at 
Rhea's Mills, Washington County, Arkansas, on the 
25th day of December, 1862. In my chronicles I said 
that as our offensive operations are temporarily sus- 
pended; and as we are expecting orders shortly to 
move northward towards the Missouri line; a resume 
of our operations since we came into this section last 
fall will be useful. After the battles of ISTewtonia on 
the 30th of September and 4th of October last, we 
moved steadily forward, and defeated the enemy in 
every engagement. At the battle of Maysville or Old 
tort Way?ie, Cherokee Nation, on the 20th of October, 
we gained a substantial victory by capturing from 
General Cooper four pieces of light artillery, brass 
twelve pounders. The Second and Sixth regiments 
Kansas cavalry led in the charge which resulted in the 
capture of these guns. It is generally conceded how- 
ever, that the meed of honor should go to Captain 
Samuel J. Crawford, Second Kansas cavalry, for 
conspicuous bravery displayed on the field that bright 
sunny morning. It was one of the most exciting 
contests that I had up to that time witnessed. The 
enemy were completely routed in less than half an 
hour after the engagement commenced, and besides his 
artillery, a considerable number of small arms, which 
were thrown down by General Cooper's troops in their 
flight, fell into our hands. 

Passing over minor engagements and skirmishes, 
we come next to the battles of Cane Hill and Prairie 
Grove. The battle of Cane Hill took place November 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 35 

29th. Though we drove the enemy through the 
mountains from position to position all day, we gained 
nothing of consequence, since we lost one of the 
bravest and best officers of our command, Lieutenant 
Colonel Lewis E. Jewell, Sixth Kansas Cavalry. We 
also had two other officers of the same regiment 
^seriously wounded, Lieutenants John G. Harris and 
John A. Johnson, besides some twenty enlisted men. 
Colonel Jewell fell mortally wounded while leading a 
sabre charge through a narrow pass in the mountains 
near the head of Cove Creek just as darkness was 
coming on * The gorges in the mountains through 
which we were pressing the enemy made our pursuit 
of him exceedingly difficult and hazardous, for we 
could rarely display a front of more than iifty men. 

I feel that it is eminently right and proper that I 
should give Colonel Jewell more than a passing notice 
in this resume. He permitted me to accompany him 
on all scouts and reconnoissances whenever I could be 
spared fi'om my regular duties. And when I could 
not go with him, he generally made it a point on his 
return to report to me such facts as he thought would 
be worth noting down. As I endeavored to notice the 
chief points of interest covering the area of our 
operations, he frequently furnished me with informa- 
tion from higher authorities, which I could not have 
otherwise got. When I carried orders on the field at 

♦Captain J. K. Hudson, Assistant Adjutant General of Colonel 
Weir's brigade, who bad been on several bold adventures with 
Colonel Jewell during the day, was only a tew yards from him 
when he fell. 



36 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

Newtonia last September, it was Colonel Jewell that 
I saw lead two battalions of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry 
on our right against two battalions of the enemy's 
cavalry. This force of the enemy, though somewhat 
superior to ours, had no sooner drawn several volleys 
from our carbines than Colonel Jewell ordered his 
bugler to sound the charge, and in an instant, with* 
drawn sabres and at the head of his regiment, he 
swept forward over the prairie like a storm, leaving a 
cloud of dust in his rear. The enemy stood for a 
moment, but when they saw our cavalry coming 
towards them with such impetuosity, they turned and 
fled, and sought the covering of their guns. Colonel 
Jewell pursued them for about tliree-quarters of a 
mile right at their heels, sabreing some of the rear- 
most, until he came near the stone wall or fence, 
behind which were posted ^ large body of rebel 
infantry. It was the grandest sight I ever saw — our 
bright sabres gleaming in the sunlight of that lovely 
afternoon. This short action took place on the open 
prarie, and as I was near Colonel Weir and our batteries, 
a few hundred yards to the left of Col. Jewell's position, 
1 could see every movement as distinctly as if I wei-e 
watching two of our cavalry regiments going into a 
sham battle. In the presence of the enemy he never 
sought an excuse to be absent from his regiment or 
post of duty. And his men loved him, for he res- 
pected their manhood, and shared equally with them 
all dangers and hardships. In another way he en- 
deared himself to us more than any other field-officer 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 37 

of our regiment. He always seemed to me to be 
more in earnest and devoted to the cause for which 
we are fio^hting, and in which I believe we shall be 
successful, than any of the other field-officers. We 
had some rather lively discussions around headquarters 
sometimes i«n regard to the policy of the Government 
towards the rebellious States, and I know that he was 
an ardent supporter of Mr. Lincoln's administration, 
and believed that the war should be prosecuted without 
dallying with the enemy. 

It is a matter of simple justice to state that no 
truer and braver soldier has thus far in the war been 
sacrificed on the altar of liberty, nor has a purer 
patriot drawn his sword in defence of his country. 
Though his family and friends and all who knew him 
will mourn that he has been thus cut down in the 
prime of his manhood and usefulness, yet there is a 
sad pleasure in knowing that he fell in the full dis- 
charge of a noble duty, the noblest it is given man to 
perform. 

If Kansas shall in the future erect monuments to 
her heroic dead, I know that none will be more deserv- 
ing of a monument than Colonel Jewell. 

After the battle of Cane Hill, General Blunt ordered 
forward all his trains from Camp Moonlight to Rhea's 
Mills, eight miles north of Cane Hill. All the troops 
of his division, except some detachments which were 
posted to guard the principal passes in the mountains 
to the south of us, were collected at Rhea's Mills, for 
he knew from the information that our scouts brought 



38 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

in each day, that a great struggle was near at hand — a 
struggle that would require the co-operation of all the 
Federal troops in Eouthwest Missouri and northwest 
Arkan^s to save us from defeat and utter destruction. 
General Herron's division of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin 
and Missouri troops, which had been with us during 
the latter part of October, while w^e were encamped at 
Pea Ridge, moved back early in November in the 
direction of Wilson Creek and Springfield, Missouri. 
Having received reliable information that a large 
army of the enemy, consisting of all the available 
troops from Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, had con- 
centrated at Fort Smith and Yan Buren under the 
supreme command of General Hindman, who had posi- 
tively fixed the 3d or 4th of December as the day 
when he w^ould set out with his army to attack and 
destroy this division and invade Missouri, General 
Blunt sent couriers to General Herron to bring forward 
his division on a forced march. General Herron res- 
ponded with great promptness, marching day and night, 
and on Sunday morning, December 7th, his advance 
guard, composed of a battalion of the Seventh Missouri 
Cavalry, was attacked by General Hindman's advance 
cavalry division about twelve miles south of Fayette- 
ville, near Illinois river, and some five miles southeast 
of our camp. The ofiicer in command of General 
Herron's advanced guard, supposing that he was in the 
neighborhood of our division, allowed himself to be 
surprised by the enemy, and in this preliminary en- 
gagement lost upwards of one hundred of his men by 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 39 

capture, and some ten or twelve killed and wounded. 
But I think he cannot be justly censured for this mis- 
fortune, since he had a right to suppose that we had 
not permitted the enemy to pass us. This engage- 
ment in the morning, however, stopped the progress of 
the enemy and enabled General Herron to bring up 
his infantry and artillery. And in the meantime our 
division was also coming into position on the enemy's 
left flank. 

With the exception of the above affair, and a recon- 
noisance by our division, which will presently be men- 
tioned, the early part of the day was consumed by the 
commanding generals on both sides in bringing up 
troops and artillery and getting them, into position, so 
that a calm prevailed before the storm which was to 
break over Prairie Grove in the afternoon. 

While the two opposing armies were thus getting 
ready for the impending conflict,a movement with which 
I was connected seems worth mentioning. About two 
o'clock on Sunday morning the 7th, Colonel W. E. 
Judson, with most of the available men of his regiment 
and two mountain howitzers, was detailed by Gen. 
Blunt to occupy a pass in the mountains about twelve 
miles southeast of Rhea's Mill, as a report came in 
that the enemy were making a demonstration against 
an outpost which we had there. When we reached 
the point designated, we found that all Gen. Hindman's 
army with the exception of some detachments, which 
had been thrown out as flankers and as rear guard, had 
passed. After we struck the Fort Smith and Fayette- 



40 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

ville road and marched north a short distance, we came 
in sight of the enemy's rear column. Col. Judson or- 
dered the howitzer battery to fire a few rounds into it,and 
Gen. Hindman supposing that his army was attacked 
in the rear by Gen. Blunt's division from Ehea's Mills, 
ordered his troops to form in line of battle, facing to the 
rear. We saw them forming on the sides of the moun- 
tain and in the openings in the woods in large masses- 
After discharging a few volleys from our carbines into 
their line, we retreated around a section of the moun- 
tain and joined our division on the extreme right 
about the middle of the afternoon. This movement it 
is generally conceded had the efiect of delaying Gen. 
Hindman in massing his troops in front against Gen. 
Herron, as he could not feel sure that the main attack 
was not to be made in his rear, until he sent out a 
reconnoisance and discovered the true situation. Sev- 
eral rebel wounded with whom I talked on the subject 
of the battle, stated that Gen. Hindman had actually 
commenced to change his main line of battle to face 
south. When we came on to the field the divisions of 
Gens. Blunt and Herron had just formed a junction, 
and their line of battle must have been fully two and 
a half miles long. Gen. Herron's division had already 
had several sharp contests with the enemy, and the 
engagement was becoming general all along the line. 
On both sides the skirmish lines were being pushed back 
on the infantry and artillery. The enemy had appar- 
ently the best position, as he occupied a side of the 
mountain and a plateau or intermediate elevation. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 41 

thickly covered with timber, mostly of young growth; 
while our forces occupied the lower ground north and 
west of Prairie Grove meeting house. Shortly after 
we had taken our position, there was a lull in the skir- 
mish firing, which was soon followed by a heavy roll 
of musketry on our extreme left. Gen. Hindman had 
thrown forward a division of infantry which attacked 
Gen. Herron's division furiously. He then dispatched 
another division against Gen. Blunt. The heavy vol- 
leys of musketry now extended all along the lines of 
both armies. In the meantime the artillery of both 
sides had not been idle. It furnished the base notes 
of that awfully grand performance. Our batteries 
were skillfully handled, and sometimes whea they came 
into new positions with the enemy plainly in view, 
their terrific thundering seemed to shake the very 
foundation of the mountains. The storm surged back 
and forth along the lines of both armies with no per- 
ceptible intermission until dark with small arms, and 
until long after dark with the artillery; for I could dis- 
tinctly see from our position the enemy's guns on the 
side of the mountain belching forth long volumes of fire 
from their horrid throats. My experience at New- 
tonia and Prairie Grove convinces me that shells from 
an enemy's guns bursting over one's head at night 
make quite a difierent impression upon the mind than 
when bursting over one's head in broad daylight. The 
bursting and singing of shells fiying through the air, 
and the crackling and falling of limbs of trees produce 
an indescribable feeling, such perhaps as is not easy 



42 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

to imagine by anv one who has not had the exper- 
ience. 

As the twilight grew into darkness the volleys of 
musketry died away gradually, and only the batteries 
kept up the firing of shot and shell. But when night 
came and drew a mantle of darkness over the earth, 
and shortly separated the combatants, .neither we nor 
our foes knew the amount of death and suffering the 
last few hours had wrought. Nor is it likely that the 
commanding Generals of either army, until long after 
silence reigned over the bloody field, felt sure as to 
the result of the day's contest. At the close of the 
day both armies occupied very nearly the same posi- 
tions they had taken up on going into action. Some 
of the bloodiest parts of the field were neutral ground 
during the night. Our troops slept on their arms, and 
all night long active preparations were being made to 
bring every available man on the field the next day, 
and to renew the battle at early dawn. The supply 
and baggage trains of our division at Rhea's Mills, had 
been in an unsafe position during the day, and were 
removed during the night to Fayetteville, so that they 
would be covered by our army in the event of its 
being compelled to retreat the next day. During the 
progress of the battle, Gen. Solomons, with the 
Ninth Wisconsin infantry and some detachments 
from different regiments, was left to guard our trains. 
But the next morning was clear and frosty, and the 
sun, with its disc half obscured, peeped over the dis- 
tant outlines of the mountain and seemed to smile on 



ON THE BORDER— 1868. 45 

all below. The distant mountain peaks, too, batbed in 
a soft haze, seemed to speak words of hope and confi- 
dence. We found ourselves in complete possession ot 
the field instead of another bloody day before us. 
Gen. Hindman not being willing to renew the contest, 
had during the night ordered the wheels of his artil- 
lery carriages and caissons muffled, and drawn off the 
field and retreated towafds Yan Buren. He remained 
however with a division of cavalry in the vicinity of 
the battle field a short time the next day, and sent a 
flag of truce to Gens. Blunt and Herron concerning 
the picking up of arms on the field, the burying of the 
dead aiid caring for the wounded. Our victory was 
complete. The defeat of the enemy was a severe blow 
to the Confederate cause west of the Mississippi. 
Gen. Hindman is reported to have boasted that his 
horse should drink out of the Missouri river or from 
the rivers of Pluto's regions before Christmas. The 
morning before leaving Yan Buren, he issued a flam- 
ing address to his troops to inspire them with courage 
and hope, and in it, in speaking of the Federal troops, 
he went on to say, " they have desolated your homes, 
defiled the graves of your kindred," etc. A copy of 
this address I picked up on the field beside a dead 
Confederate soldier, and presume it was printed and 
distributed among the rebel troops. This bombastic 
display of oratory may have had some effect towards 
firing the flagging zeal of his troops, for some of his 
soldiers that we captured had very exaggerated notions 
about alleged outrages committed by our troops, par- 
ticularly the Kansas division. 



44 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

This battle is one of the three big battles that have 
as yet been fought west of the Mississippi river, and 
as it has resulted so favorable to our arms, it will no 
doubt do much to strengthen our cause in the west. 
There are always men who are looking out for the win- 
ning side. 

It requires time and an immense expenditure of 
energy and money to organize and equip such an 
army as Gen. Hindman brought against us. His 
army has been estimated at sixteen to twenty thousand 
men. Our two divisions did not bring on the field 
exceeding ten thousand men. From what I saw and 
could find out, I estimated that our loss must have 
been very nearly two hundred men killed, and upwards 
of eight hundred wounded."^ The enemy, I estimated 

* The First Division, commanded by Brig.-GeneralJames G. 
BluntjConsisted of the following troops ; Kansas : Second, Sixth and 
Ninth regiments of cavalry, with four twelve pound mountain 
howitzers; Tenth, Eleventh and Thirteenth regiments infantry, 
and First, Second and Third batteries light artillery. Indiana: 
Second battery light artillery commanded by Captain Rabb. Wis- 
consin : Third regiment cavalry, two battalions, and Ninth regi- 
ment infantry. And Colonel Phillips Indiana brigade, consisting 
of the First, Second and Third regiments. 

The Second and Third Divisions commanded by Brig.-General 
Frank J. Herron were composed of the following organizations: 
Iowa: Nineteenth and Twentieth regiments of infantry, and First 
regiment cavahy. Illmois : Tenth regiment cavalry and Thirty- 
seventh and Ninety -fourth regiments infantry and Peoria battery 
light artillery. Indiana: Twenty-sixth regiment infantry. Mis- 
souri : First, Seventh and Eight regiments cavalry, and batteries 
"E," "F" and "L" First light artillery. Wisconsin : One battalion 
Second regiment cavalry, and Twentieth regiment infantry, and 
First regiment Arkansas cavalry. 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 45 

from counting different groups of their slain on the 
field, lost about three hundred men killed, and pro- 
bably upwards of a thousand wounded. 

There was some gallant charging by the infantry on 

According to official reports the casualties were as follows in 
Second and Third Divisions: Indiana: Twenty-sixth infantry, 
enlisted men killed, 41. Illinois: Thirty-seventh regiment infan- 
try, enlisted men killed, : wounded, . Ninety-fourth regi- 
ment, enlisted men killed, 2 ; wounded, 10. Tenth regiment cav- 
alry, enlisted men wounded, 9. Iowa : First cavalry, wounded 
enlisted men, 1 ; missing enlisted men, 2. Nineteenth infantry, 
killed, officers, 3; enlisted men, 42; wounded, officers, 5; 
enlisted men, 139 ; missing, officers, 1 ; enlisted men, 
2. Twentieth infantry, killed, officers, 1 ; enlisted men, 7 ; 
wounded, officers, 5 ; enlisted men, 34. Missouri : Seventh cav- 
alry, killed, officers, 2; enlisted men, 4; wounded, enlisted men, 
6; missing, officers, 1 ; enlisted men, 105. Eighth cavalry, miss- 
ing, enlisted men, 4. Batteries E, F and L, First Light artillery, 
killed, enlisted men, 1 ; wounded, 2. Wisconsin : Twentieth in- 
fantry, killed, officers, 2; enlisted men, 51; wounded officers, 8; 
enlisted men, 154 ; missing, enlisted men, 10. Battalion Second 
cavalry, wounded, enlisted men, 1. 

First Division : Kansas : Second cavalry, killed, enlisted men, 
3; wounded, officers, 1 ; enlisted men, 11. Sixth cavalry, miss- 
ing, enlisted men, 3. Tenth infantry, killed, enlisted men, 7; 
wounded, officers, 2 ; enlisted men, 58. Eleventh infantry, killed, 
enlisted men, 2; wounded, officers, 2; enlisted men, 19. Thir- 
teenth infantry, killed, enlisted men, 7; wounded, officers, 2; 
enlisted men, 33; missing, enlisted men, 6. First Battery, killed, 
enlisted men, 1 ; wounded, enlisted men, 8. Indiana brigade ; 
First regiment, killed, enlisted men, 1 ; wounded, enlisted men, 
1. Third regiment, missing, enlisted men, 3. 

There were according to the official reports of Gens. Blunt and 
Herron, killed, 1C7, wounded, 798; missing, 183. making a total 
of casualties of 1,148. I make 175 killed, which I think is very 
nearly correct. This is 28 less than the number of men 
killed at Pea Ridge during three days' fighting. 



46 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

both sides to capture batteries and to secure certain 
desirable positions. In Gen. Herron's division the 
Twentieth regiment Wisconsin infantry, Twenty- 
sixth Indiana Infantry, the Nineteenth and Twentieth 
regiments of Iowa infantry, and Thirty-seventh and 
Ninety-fourth regiments Illinois infantry were most 
fiercely assaulted by the enemy, and sustained the 
heaviest loss in charging the enemy at the point of the 
bayonet. Never was greater bravery and firmness 
displayed by troops in action, and no general ever 
handled his men more skillfully than Gen. Ilerron. 
On that bloody day several of the enemy's bat- 
teries, after every horse belonging to the gun 
carriages had been killed, were captured by our 
infantry, and ^vhile they were being hauled 
ofi^ the field by the hands of the men, the en- 
emy rallied and came down in lines of six deep, and 
recaptured them just before they were drawn to the 
foot of the hill. Gen. Herron strengthened his line 
at this hotly contested spot, and in a few moments a 
strong force of infantry charged up the hill through the 
woods and at the point of the bayonet retook one of 
the batteries and held it. Shortly after this fierce con- 
test Gen. Hindman sent a division of infantry against 
our right with a view of breaking through Gen. Blunt's 
line. Again the enemy came down in line of battle six 
deep. Gen. Blunt ordered his batteries into positions 
from which they were able to use grape and canister 
against the enemy with terrible efiect. The Tenth, 
Eleventh and Thirteenth regiments Kansas infantry 



' ON THE BORDER— 1863. 47 

suffered the heaviest losses in this fierce engagement. 
Our batteries were well handled and did excellent ser- 
vice. They dismounted several of the enemy's guns, 
knocked the wheels off some of their gun carriages 
and caissons, and by exploding shells killed a good 
many of their artillerymen and artillery horses. I 
saw near the peach orchard on the hill where this 
fierce contest was waged over the taking and retaking 
of the batteries above mentioned, nearly all the horses 
that belonged to those batteries within a radius of 
fifty yards, and I noticed that many of them had been 
killed by exploding shells. Indeed in some instances 
they were dreadfully mutilated. 

I account for the enemy's loss in killed and 
wounded being larger than ours in this way. In the 
first place I am satisfied that Gen. Hindman's army 
was not as well organized and equipped as ours; 
though he unquestionably had several divisions of weJl 
organized troops. In the second place, I don't believe 
that the great body of his troops were as eager for the 
fray as ours. I sincerely believe that a large propor- 
tion of our soldiers were actually eager for the contest, 
and went into it with confidence of their streup-th 
and in the justice of our cause. They felt too, that 
our ofi&cers would not blindly lead them into a contest 
in w^hich they would be put to disadvantage in every 
respect. Our small arms also were perhaps as a 
general thing superior to the small arms of the enemy, 
though some of their infantry regiments were armed 
with fine Enfield muskets with the crown stamped 



48 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

upon them. When it could be done conveniently it 
was probably the intention to pick up these costly 
arms whenever a soldier was killed or feU severely 
wounded, but in many instances this would have been 
impossible, hostile bullets were flying so thick and 
fas 

Several women whom I saw on the fleld the second 
day after the battle, looking for dead or wounded 
relatives and friends, told me that the rebel authorities 
had conscripted every able bodied man in the State 
they could get, and put him into the army, and that 
the conscripts were always sure to be put into the 
front ranks, poorly armed and equipped, so as to draw 
our first fire, and so that their best trained and 
equipped soldiers could be reserved for the fiercest and 
most important contests. From inquiries that 1 have 
made, I have no doubt but that a good many men who 
were indifferent as to the results of the war, and many 
others whose sympathies were more with the Govern- 
ment than with the Confederacy, were killed and 
wounded in this battle. But in times like the present, 
if not indeed upon all questions of public and private 
interests, men should have decided convictions, and 
support them by all honorable means in their power. 
If a man is not in sympathy with the rebellion 
he should at once either join the Federal army or seek 
its protection. It is an unsafe time to attempt to sit 
a straddle the political fence. Whoever attempts it is 
liable to get knocked off" by either party, and to receive 
very little tympathy from neither. 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 49 

And thirdly, I don't think that the enemy were able 
to use their artillery as eifectively as ours was used. 
Gren. Hindman's position on the side of the mountain 
and on the plateau below, though covered with a 
dense young forest, was not much advantage to him, if 
not indeed a positive disadvantage. On account of 
the few openings in the woods, his batteries could 
not iind a sufficient number of good positions from 
which to sight our troops and batteries. And being 
obliged to stick to the same positions all the afternoon, 
our batteries soon got their range from the smoke 
which arose from them, and knocked them to pieces 
fearfully. Our batteries constantly shifted their posi- 
tions and consequently suffered very little loss. Only 
at the peach orchard above mentioned, did the enemy 
attempt to use any of his batteries at short range with 
grape and canister, and we have seen how that per- 
formance ended. The batteries of both our divisions, 
about forty-two pieces, all the afternoon poured a con- 
stant and terrific shower of shot and shell into the 
dense woods which seemed to afford the enemy shelter. 
The day after the battle, in passing through this woods 
with an officer and several comrades, the number of 
torn and multilated bodies of rebel soldiers, scattered 
here and there, told us plainly enough that the forest 
had afforded the enemy very little shelter, that though 
it had concealed them from our view, it had not con- 
cealed them from our exploding shells. On one occa- 
sion when General Hindman massed a large force of 
infantry in front of our right, and directed them to 
break our line, two of our batteries took nositlons 
4 



50 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

well selected, and cross-fired them with grape and 
canister, as soon as they came within range, with 
terrible eifect. 

The names of many officers who displayed conspic- 
uous bravery on the bloody field of Prairie Grove 
could be mentioned, but as there were probably others, 
whose names I did not get, who displayed equal 
bravery, it would be unjust to make any discrimina- 
tion. The officer of highest rank killed on our side, 
was Lieut. -Colonel Samuel McFarland, Nineteenth 
Iowa infantry, while gallantly leading his regiment. 

The smoke of the battle having cleared away, and it 
having been ascertained that the enemy had not 
stopped in his retreat until he reached Yan Buren, our 
next care was to bury our dead and look after our 
wounded. The enemy also, under a flag of truce, had 
men and surgeons on the field gathering up their dead 
and wounded. I visited a number of our Field 
Hospitals, and it was the most affecting sight I ever 
saw to see so many of our poor fellows breathing out 
their noble lives. A young man to my left, as I 
passed through a ward in which most of the patients 
were regarded as mortally wounded, knowing that dis- 
solution was near, was dictating a last message to his 
young wife; and another to my right was directing a 
comrade by his side to send some loving word to his 
mother; and near by another, whose countenance 
showed that life was fast ebbing away, looked intently 
on a picture of some dear one at home for a moment 
and then fell to weeping. Others were undergoing 
great mental as well as physical sufiering, because 



ON THE BORDER-I863. El 

they were conscious that they were going to die far 
away from homes and friends. Bnt the groans and 
agonies of these brave men shall not have been in vain 
J? nture generations will enjoy the blessings that their 
blood has helped to purchase. It would be base in- 
gratitude on the part of those for whom they died 
were they to make no effort to commemorate their 
glorious actions. 



CHAPTEK II. 

Creneral Blunt's trains return to Rhea's Mills from Fayetteville — 
Resources of the country around Rhea's Mills — Furnishes 
forage for the cavalry and transportation animals — Native ani- 
mals stand the service better in that section than animals 
brought from the north — Preparations for the expedition to 
Van Buren — Incidental reflections — The expedition on the 
march — Crossing and recrossing the raging, foaming and 
splashing mountain stream thirty-nine times — An unpleasant 
march for the infantry — The troops bivouac by this stream — 
The march resumed — An outpost of the enemy struck by the 
Federal Cavalry advance — The chase— Battle Dripping Springs 
—Federal charge on the enemy's camp — Flight of the enemy to 
Van Buren — Federal pursuit — Capture of Van Buren — Burn- 
ing of steamboats and supplies — Artillery duel acrsss the Ar- 
kansas River — The enemy shell their own city — Return to 
Rhea's Mills. 

Before saluting the new year we must notice some 
further operations of considerable importance. A few 
days after the battle of Prairie Grove, General Bhint 
ordered his supply and baggage trains back from 
Fayetteville to Khea's Mills, and our division went 
into camp again. General Herron's division went 
into camp on the ground it occupied during the battle. 
The battle will probably always be known in history 
as the battle of Prairie Grove, for the two opposing 
armies met near Prairie Grove meeting house, on a 
northern slope of the Boston Mountains. 

This section is regarded as the wealthiest and most 
fertile region in northwestern Arkansas, if not indeed 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 53 

of the State. The climate and soil seerd peculiarly 
adapted to raising sweet j^otatoes, apples, pears, peaches 
and many other kinds of fruit. Wheat, corn and 
oats are also raised in considerable abundance. Bat 
the farms are not large like the farms in Missouri. 
We have found almost sufficient forage to supply our 
animals, and we have also replenished the larder of the 
commissariat to some extent. The cattle and hogs 
taken from disloyal j)eople of this section furnish us 
with fresh beef and pork. The water-power mills on 
the never-failing mountain streams, have rarely been 
burned, and turn out a good deal of ilour, which is 
applied to subsisting the army. All commissary and 
quartermaster supplies for our division, with the ex- 
ception of those that this section furnishes, are trans- 
ported by four-mule teams from Fort Scott, Kansas, a 
distance of one hundred and forty miles. G-en. 
Herron's division is supplied from Springfield, Mis- 
souri. Though our base of supplies is this great 
distance from us; and though most of the country our 
trains pass over is infested with guerrilla bands that 
annoy our escorts by now and then picking off a 
trooper with their rifles or mnskets, yet we have not, 
up to the present time, lost a train or suffered any in- 
convenience for want of full rations. A considerable 
body of our cavalry has, however, been detached from 
actual field service to perform escort duty, during the 
autumn and winter. But taking into account the 
amount of this kind of service, and the fact that scout- 
ing parties or reconnaissances are daily sent out in 
every direction, our cavalry horses are in remarkably 



54 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

good condition. That they have stood the campaign 
so well, I think is due to the fact that they have been 
collected mostly from Missouri and Kansas, a climate 
not differing perceptibly from this. Last spring the 
Second Ohio cavalry accompanied us on an expedition 
known as the " Indian Expedition.'^'' The men of 
that regiment were mounted on fine horses brought 
from northern Ohio, which were in splendid condition 
when the regiment left Fort Scott. But when we 
returned to Southern Kansas in August, after an 
absence of less than four months, nearly all the horses 
of this finely equipped regiment had either died or 
been abandoned in the Indian country. Yery few of 
the troopers of the Second and Sixth regiments, 
Kansas cavalry, were dismounted on our return. I 
have therefore felt convinced since that "Expedition" 
that our native animals are more suitable for 
army service in this section than horses raised four or 
^wQ hundred miles north of this latitude. Animals, 
like men, in few generations become adapted to the 
conditions of particular localities, and in a measure 
unadapted to the conditions of other localities. 

After an active campaign, camp life becomes mono- 
tonous to the soldier, and he begins to crave new ex- 
citement. We remained in camp at Khea's Mills 
about three weeks after the battle of Prairie Grove 
without undertaking any other important movement- 
Keconnaissances have of course been sent out at inter- 
vals of a few days, but in each instance return to camp 
without discovering any indications of the enemy in 
force. But, on the evening of December 26th, I re- 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 55 

ceived instructions to issue to the number of men 
reported present for duty in each company of our regi- 
ment, five days' rations suitable for carrying in haver- 
sacks, and to be ready to march at 3 o'clock on the 
morning of the 27th. At the time designated all the 
cavalry, infantry and artillery, except a force deemed 
sufficient to guard our trains and camp, under Brig.- 
General Solomons, were in column and in readiness to 
march. Very few, if any, of the officers knew where 
we were going, or the exact object of the expedition. 
It was thought by some that we were going to attack 
the rebel army in the vicinity of Yan Buren and Fort 
Smith. It did not seem probable that it was the inten- 
tion of General Blunt to attack the main body of the 
rebel army, as we had recently received information that 
it was encamped around Fort Smith, on the south side of 
the Arkansas river, four miles above Yan Buren. Even 
if our force had been sufficiently strong to make our 
success reasonably certain, it was difficult to see how we 
should get our army across the river as rapidly as 
would be required, as we have had no pontoon trains 
such as the eastern armies are furnished with. "We 
thought it possible that the commanding general 
wished to take a more advanced position, to occup}^ Yan 
Buren, and to clear the country all north of the river 
of the enemy. There were, however, serious difficulties 
to be encountered in taking this view of the matter. 
Our base of supplies would be further removed from 
us; besides our supply trains would be obliged to pass 
over the Boston Mountains, a rough and rugged region. 
But with a line of stations in our rear we thought 



^Q MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

that the army might move to Yan Biiren, as we were 
in complete possession of western Arkansas north of 
the river. 

I need not, however, recount further what our 
thoughts were in regard to the ultimate object of the 
expedition. Suffice it to know that General Blunt had 
information that a brigade of Texas cavalry, under com- 
mand of Colonel Crump, was encamped at Dripping 
Springs, eight miles north of Yan Bm^en, and that he 
wished to capture them or break up their camp. He 
'was also informed that large quanties of qtiartermas- 
ter and commissary supplies were stored at Yan Buren, 
and that four or five steamboats were coming up the 
river from Little Kock with cargoes of supplies for Gen- 
eral Hindman's army encamped in the neighborhood 
of Fort Smith, and that the steamboats would proba- 
bly reach Yan Buren about the time he calculated we 
would get there. If we could captureand destroy those 
supplies and steamboats, and capture or break up 
Colonel Crump's camp it would of course cripple the 
rebel army in Arkansas to a very great extent, besides it 
would add to its demoralization, which was already 
great since the battle of Prairie Grove. We heard 
even before that battle that their supplies were scanty 
in many respects. I don't think that the rebel sol- 
diers had any genuine coffee. We heard that they had 
not, and I saw in the liaversacks on a number of their 
dead bodies at Prairie Grove, nothing but a kind of 
meal made of parched corn, a piece of bacon and a 
piece of black looking bread, which we could not eat 
unless we felt the pinch of hunger more keenly than 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 67 

we have at any time in the past. When I saw their 
dead bodies scattered over the field, I could not help 
feeling that most of them surely had no definite notion 
of what they were fighting for. Though in death, par- 
ticularly of a soldier who has died on the battle field 
in the midst of fire and smoke and dust and excitement, 
1 suppose we cannot judge accurately how he looked 
\shen living; yet I think that most of the enemy's 
dead I saw on the field must have been poor men; 
who probably never owned a slave, nor never would have 
owned one even if slavery were permitted to remain 
an institution of the South. Under such circumstances 
I sincerely pity those men who are sacrificing 
their lives to perpetuate and sustain an institution 
that never has had, and never will have, any sym- 
pathy for them in their ignorance and poverty. 
Should I or my brother fall any day, we know 
that we shall have fallen in defense of our gov- 
ernment, which is, perhaps, the best the world has yet 
seen; but we also know that we shall have fallen in de- 
fense of a principle which has for its object the mak- 
ing of all men free and equal before the law. Had not 
such thoughts as these been in my mind, I could never 
have pursuaded him to leave his home and young wife, 
to enlist into the Federal army. If we come out of the 
war safe, we leel that we will have an interest in the 
future, but that if we do not come out safe, that our 
sacrifice will not have been for nothing. We know 
that the cause for which we are striving does not tend 
to establish an aristocracy or privileged class, which 



58 MSMOIES OF THE REBELLION 

shall in various ways be favored by the laws of the 
land. Though we may not live to enjoy the blessings 
we hope will come when the storms of >var shall have 
passed away, there is at least a satisfaction in believ- 
ing that there are those who are dear to us who will 
enjoy these hoped-for blessings. 

But let us not dwell too long upon such thoughts. 
The expedition is all ready to start. At 3 o'clock it is 
rather chilly, for the temperature is a little below the 
freezing point, as the puddles in the road are covered 
with thin sheets of ice. The three or four inches of 
snow that fell a few days ago, have not quite disap- 
peared, and as all the little depressions in the road are 
filled with water or slush, the outlook for the infantry 
and artillery is not very cheerful. But a few hours 
marching brought us daylight and into a region where 
the snow and ice had entirely disappeared, and where 
the roads were firmer and inclined to be somewhat 
rocky. By ten o'clock we had struck the head of Cove 
Creek. It winds through the mountains in a south- 
erly direction, and as it is fed by mountain streams, now 
regular torrents, it of course increased in size and 
volume as we descended it. The rapid melting of the 
snow in the mountains, and the heavy rain-fall the day 
before we set out, swelled it to overflowing. We had 
crossed it when we bivouacked at ten o'clock,that night, 
according to my count, thirty-three times. We were 
on the march the next morning at three o'clock and 
crossed it five or six times before daylight. We had 
heard that we should be obliged to cross it thirty-nine 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 59 

times ; and I think we did. This would be crossing it 
somewhat more than once every mile on an average. 
The infantry, when they first came to it, could cross it- 
dry shod, by stepping from stone to stone, as its swift 
current ran splashing and foaming along. When they 
crossed it the next time they got their feet wet, but 
kept their j^antaloons dry by turning them up. The 
fourth and fifth times they waded it with their shoes< 
on and their trousers rolled up. After this they fenced 
against the waters no further, except to see to it that 
their cartridge boxes were kept dry inside, and they^ 
themselves should not be washed down the swiftly 
running current, for when we bivouacked that night 
at the most favorable crossings that could be found, 
the water was well nigh to the armpits of the men. It 
w^as almost ice-cold, for it came mostly from melted 
snow that had just run down in the mountain brooks. 
The men, however, stood this extraordinary day and 
night's march without a murmur, and in fact from con- 
versations with several infantry-men just before we biv- 
ouacked, appear to have sufi'ered less discomfort thaa 
I supposed they would. Though their clothing to- 
their waists was wet all the afternoon and evenings 
the physical exercise of marching kept them from get- 
ting chilled. Immediately after we halted that night 
on the bank of Cove Creek, a thousand blazing fires, 
were kindled, and the infantry-men dried their cloth- 
ing; and food and a refreshing sleep prepared them for 
the next day's march, which would determine the ob- 
ject and success or failure of the expedition. A few 



•60 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

moments after the bugle sounded the halt, I rode back 
towards the rear of the column, and listened to the con- 
versations of the men, and talked to some of them 
myself, so that I might form some idea of the feelings 
of those whose march had been so disagreeable and 
fatiguing, for we had marched since we left Rhea's 
Mills, upwards of thirty miles. I found the infantry- 
men quite cheerful, and the artillery men thought that 
their ammunition had not been perceptibly damaged 
by the water splashing against the caissons. Late in 
the evening the caissons of our howitzers were de- 
tached and put into an ambulance to keep the ariinni- 
tion dry. The ambulances had been obliged to take up 
also a few men during the day, but the number was 
much smaller than I supposed it would be. After the 
men had dried their clothing and taken such food as 
their appetites demanded, they spread their blankets 
on the ground, and threw themselves upon them, and 
soon sweet sleep closed their eyes, and they were wan- 
dering through the realms of dream land. If during 
their waking moments the cares and fatigues of the 
-day had prevented their thoughts from often turning 
homewards, no doubt but that in their calm sleep many 
dreamed of pleasant conversations with their families 
and dear relatives and friends at home, And perhaps 
pleasant smiles played upon the faces of some who, in 
dreamland, thought that they were watching the pranks 
of their rollicking children. Such were the thoughts 
that came into my mind concerning my comrades, 
until gentle sleep came to me, bringing that which na- 
ture demanded I should accept, rest. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 61 

Within a space of less than two miles, in a narrow 
gorge in the mountains, near the margin of the noisy, 
foaming and gurgling stream, thus slept three thou- 
sand men. 

At three o'clock next morning the bugles sounded^, 
and in a few moments our entire force was in readi- 
ness to resume the march. About twenty minutes,, 
however, were given us to feed our horses and take such 
food ourselves as would satisfy the pinch of hunger.. 
A few hours of refreshing sleep is beyond doabt very 
beneficial to an army, after constant marching all 
day. The sky had become partly overcast during the 
night, so that it was pitch dark when we resumed the 
march. I could not distinguish the color of my 
gray horse sitting on him. The proximity of the 
steep sides of the mountains would have made it 
quite dark even had it been a clear moonlight night, 
unless the moon had been high in the heavens near 
the zenith. Several companies of the Second Kansas 
cavalry, under command of Col. "W. F. Cloud, one of 
the most dashing cavalry officers of our division, was 
given the advance. Then came the Sixth Kansas 
cavalry, under command of Col. W. E. Judson, with 
whom I rode. As already mentioned, we crossed the 
provoking stream five or six times before daylight and 
left it, having passed the mountains. In the course of 
five or six hours Cove Creek had run down consider- 
ably; still it was up to the bellies of our horses, and 
being so cold was anything but inviting to the infan- 
try. They probably wished it was not necessary to 



62 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

take a cold water plunge so soon after awakening from 
profound sleep. 

But when we crossed Lee's Creek we were still about 
twenty miles from Yan Buren. We continued to 
march along leisurely, occasionally halting a few 
moments to allow the infantry and artillery to close 
up, until towards eight o'clock, when a report came 
along the column that our advance guard had come 
upon the enemy's pickets who, on discovering us, fled 
towards their camp in the direction of Yan Buren. 
Our advance pursued them closely, so that they should 
not reach their camp in time to give the rebel troops 
many moments warning of our approach. Onr move- 
ments gradually quickened, and shortly our cavalry 
was in full gallop, which was kept up for five or six 
miles and until we came in sight of the enemy's camp 
at Dripping Springs. In the meantime Gen. Blunt, 
who had kept up with us, sent back an order for the 
artillery and infantry to move forward with a quick 
step. The enemy, under command of Col. Crump, of 
a Texas cavalry regiment, were encamped along the 
north side of a hill, and immediately north of their 
camp were several fields with intermediate spaces 
covered with undergrowths of woods. But when we 
came to the fences inclosing the fields, there was 
scarcely a moment's delay, for they were instantly 
thrown down and we came into line of battle in a trot, 
and charged across the field in a full gallop, and when 
within fifty yards of the enemy's camp, delivered a 
yolley into the ranks of those who had formed in line 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 63 

and thought of making a stand. The Second Kansas 
cavah-y took the left of our line, and the Sixth Kansas 
cavalry and several companies of the Third Wisconsin 
cavalry the right. After firing a few rounds from our 
carbines, Gen. Blunt ordered the bugles to sound the 
charge, and with gleaming sabres we dashed forward 
like a whirlwind, throwing up a perfect cloud of dust. 
The enemy did not wait to feel the edges of our 
sabres, but fled in the direction of Yan Buren, and in 
their flight left their tents, camp, and supplies of every 
kind in our possession. 

' After charging through theia camp we could not pre- 
serve our line of battle in perfect order, on account of the 
broken condition of the ground. Nor was it necessary 
as the enemy had broken up completely, and thought 
only of saving themselves. We were cautious, however^ 
as we did not know but that they had formed another 
line back some distance, with'the determination of con- 
testing our advance. The Sixth Kansas cavalry and 
Third Wisconsin cavalry, therefore, moved right 
straight forward over the steep hill south of their camp. 
But when we were passing down the southern slope of 
the hill, we saw from the clouds of dust hanging over 
the high road leading to Yan Buren, that they had no 
intention of making a stand short of that place. We 
also learned from several rebel soldiers and teamsters, 
whom we had captured, that they were completely sur- 
prised, and that their retreat had become a stampede. 
We now changed from line of battle to columns of 
fours, and struck the gallop again, preserving such or- 



Q4: MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

der as was possible, and chased the flying enemy to 
Yan Buren, and when they passed through the city 
we were right at their heels. General Blunt sent out 
detachments of cavalry on both sides of the main road 
to scour the country and pick up their stragglers. If 
the city had any Home Guards or military organiza- 
tion to defend it, the men disappeared on our 
approach. We therefore followed the enemy right 
through the city, making the dust fly in the streets so 
that they had no time to form in line, or to take the 
steamboats lying at the wharves to cross the river, but 
continued their flight on the road along the north bank 
of the Arkansas. A squad of rebels, however, attempted 
to escape over the river on a horse-power ferry, but 
they had scarcely reached the middle of the stream 
when they were discovered. The two mountain how- 
itzers of the Sixth Kansas cavalry, which had kept up 
with us during the entire chase, were immediately 
brought down to the wharf, and after firing several fuse 
shells at the boat, struck the horse at the w^heel and 
killed him. Another shell exploded, wounding several 
men. As the boat had by this time got into shallow 
water, the rest of the men jumped overboard and 
escaped. Four steamboats with cargoes of supplies 
for the rebel army, on the first signal of our approach, 
got np steam and made an efi'ort to escape down the 
river. Two of them had proceeded a mile or so down 
the river, but as the channel now changed to near the 
north bank, and as our cavalry and one of our howit- 
zers were waiting for them, a single shot from the 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 65 

howitzer convinced the officers that it was useless to 
make further efforts to escape, and hastened to display 
a white flag. The boats were boarded by several of 
our officers and two squads of soldiers, and then 
directed to steam back up the river to Yan Buren. The 
other two boats did not get more than a half mile be- 
low the city, as they were detained some time in en- 
deavoring to find a landing on the opposite shore for 
a party of rebel officers and citizens they had taken 
aboard. They got near enough to shore, however, to 
allow nearly all the rebels to escape in small boats. It 
was the intention to also leave the steamboats at a 
landing near the opposite shore, bat, as the engineers 
and officers had not left them, they were compelled, 
when the two lower boats came up with the armed 
Federal soldiers on board, to get up steam and take 
their boats back to the city. 

The pursuit of the flying enemy having been given 
up, our cavalry having returned to the city, and the 
boats having been jiiade fast to their moorings, we dis- 
mounted on vacant lots and squares, and soon found 
abundance of forage for our tired and hungry horses. 
I^or had we any difficulty in replenishing our haversacks 
from the rebel commissary supplies. Such of the non- 
combatant population as showed themselves seemed 
perfectly amazed. A few hours before their city was 
as peaceful as the mist we had lately seen resting on 
the mountain side. No one dreamed that the '' Yan- 
kee " foe was rapidly approaching ; and being a bright 
Sunday morning many of the good j)eople had been to 
5 



^Q MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

church, and were just returning home when the alarm 
was given that we were near at hand. 

Immediately after the boats had been made fast, 
several more of our officers went aboard them to ex- 
amine their cargoes and to obtain such information as 
they could get from those who had remained in charge 
of them, in regard to the strength, movements and in- 
tentions of the rebel army in the vicinity. As we 
seemed to be in quiet possession of the city, a good 
many of our officers and soldiers left their horses where 
they had dismounted to feed them, a few blocks back 
from the river, and also came down to the river front 
to look at the captured boats. Col. Judson and I had 
just walked down and were taking a survey of the sit- 
uation and talking over the exciting transactions of the 
morning, when suddenly the sound of artillery re- 
sounded in our ears, and then an instant after, with a 
crash came a solid shot or shell, striking the ground not 
more than two or three yards from us. After an interval 
of a few seconds there came another, and still another, 
and we looked in the direction from whence they came 
and saw a rebel battery near the opposite shore and 
the smoke rising from it. We retired to our horses to 
await orders. Gen. Hindman, having heard by tele- 
graph or special messenger that we were in Yan Bu- 
ren, sent down from Fort Smith a forceof artillery and 
infantry to let us know that he was there. But in the 
meantime our infantry and artillery were coming up 
and soon arrived on the heights overlooking the city, 
the river and the countrv far off to the south. It was 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 67 

now perhaps after two o'clock, and the artillery duel 
over the river immediately commenced and lasted un- 
til dark. The distance, however, which separated the 
combatants was so great that no loss was sustained by 
our troops, and probably not much by the enemy. The 
shot and shell from the enemy's guns fell short of 
our position on the heights of the city. But the per- 
cussion shells from our rifled guns I could see flew 
over the river and struck very near where the enemy's 
batteries were posted. I could not see whether they 
inflicted any damage to the enemy, as they were cov- 
ered by the timber. Whenever one of our percussion 
shells struck a tree or solid object, I could see by the 
smoke that arose that it exploded with terrifiic vio- 
lence. It was not necessary for our cavalry to make 
any material change in position after the cannonade 
opened, as it was covered by blocks of brick buildings. 
Some of the ofiicers and soldiers, however, desired to 
occupy positions where they could get a good view of 
the rebel batteries. Late in the afternoon the echo of 
the thundering artillery seemed to roll down the river 
to a great distance, gradually growing fainter until it 
had died away. 

While we were not much disturbed by their can- 
nonade, the people of Yan Buren were greatly agita- 
ted; and well they might be, for it was their friends 
who were firing shot and shell into their city, and en- 
dangering their lives. We felt somewhat surprised that 
Gen. Hindman should have permitted the shelling of 
the city without any warning to the inhabitants, in- 



MEMOIES OF THE EEBELLION 



asmuch as thej were nearly all liis own people. Even 
we, as enemies, would not have committed such an act 
without giving the women and children and old men 
an opportunity of leaving the city. I heard that sev- 
eral persons, women and children, were killed and injur- 
ed by exploding shells from the enemy's guns. I was 
unable, however, to collect exact information of the 
casualties in the city, as we were under strict orders 
to observe great vigilance. It was not known but 
that Gen. Hindman would show fight, as we under- 
stood that he had an army of ten or twelve thousand 
men in the neighborhood of Fort Smith. Night came 
on, and w^e could see from the heights of the city to 
the heights on the south side of the river, that tlie en- 
emy were displaying great activity from some cause. 
But whether they were retreating or concentrating 
their forces at some point in the vicinity, we were un- 
able to decide. 

After dark, the enemy withdrew his batteries and 
the thundering of the artillery ceased. And now the 
disposition of the contraband property awaited the 
orders of Gen. Blunt. The steamboats, after taking 
from them such supplies as he wished to take back 
with us, he ordered burned. Before setting fire to 
them a number of ofiicers and men were permit- 
ted to take from them something of insignificant 
value, to serve as a memento of the expedition. I 
got a blank book from the " Steamer Rose Douglas '' 
to keep my Chronicles of our operations. The burn- 
ine* of the boats made a tremendous fire, and lio^hted 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 69 

up the country for miles around. Wlien the flames, 
which were soon climbing high in the sky, were first 
noticed by the people, they thought we were going to 
burn the city. But their fears were soon dispelled 
when they were assured that only the destruction of 
contraband property was intended. Private property 
was respected. Though the population of the city is 
perhaps upwards of two thousand, yet I did not hear 
of a single complaint of trespassing upon private 
premises ; or of any rude conduct of our officers or 
soldiers towards the ladies of Yan Buren. I speak of 
this with some pride, for I found that the non-combat- 
ants were strongly impressed with the notion that our 
Kansas troops were a kind of Yandals or barbarians, 
lawless, and utterly disregarded the methods and us- 
ages of civilized warfare. As our division is compos- 
ed of Kansas troops, with the exceptions already noted, 
I think we may justly feel proud of their conduct up- 
on every field, and of the results of the campaign up 
to this point. Since we attacked the enemy in the 
last engagement at Newtonia on the 4th of October, 
we have driven him, step by step, before us ; so that 
now there is not a rebel organized force north of the 
Arkansas Eiver, excepting guerrilla bands. But not- 
withstanding the series of splendid achievements, we 
hear that Gen. Blunt has made this expedition in the 
face of orders to fall back from Ehea's Mills to the 
southern line of Missouri. 

If this be true, it is to be deeply regretted, for our 
toils in this campaign will count for almost nothing; 



70 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

and we surrender back to the enemy all that we have 
gained. I do not believe that, if the Department 
Commander thoroughly understood the situation here, 
he would permit this army to abandon this section 
after we have gained it at the cost of so many bloody 
contests. Though we have reliable information that 
the enemy are greatly demoralized; yet if we fall back 
from our present position, it will be almost equivalent 
to a defeat on the field, and he will doubtless feel en- 
couraged to quickly organize his shattered forces and 
follow us up. 

At eight o'clock we received orders to be in readi- 
ness to march the next morning (29), at seven o'clock, 
on our return to Rhea's Mills. But before we com- 
mence our return march, let us take a glance at 
Dripping Springs. - When we passed through the 
rebel camp there, it was about nine o'clock, and the 
rebel soldiers had apparently just finished their 
breakfasts, for their mess i^ans, camp kettles, etc., 
indicated that their cooks liad not yet " washed their 
dishes." Their tents were standing just as they had 
occupied them; and broken gunstocks lay scattered 
over the camp, showing that they had given a moment 
to the destruction of such property as they could not 
take with them. A number of teams were harnessed 
and ready for some service when we came upon them, 
for on the road to Yan Buren I saw not 1§S8 than 
twenty wagons partially upset and in attitudes show- 
ing that they had been suddenly abandoned by having 
the mules or horses cut loose from them to enable the 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 71 

driver and parties in them to escape. Articles of 
camp and garrison equipage, and even ammunition, 
lay scattered upon the road all the way to Yan Buren. 
When we reached the city, the enemy's Military Tele- 
graph was in perfect working order, but I did not hear 
whether Gen. Blunt sent his compliments to Gen. 
Hindman or not. He could have done it had not more 
important matters occupied his attention. The cir- . 
cuit, however, was soon broken on the Little Kock as 
well as on the Fort Smith end of the line. 

On the morning of the 29th we set out on our 
return march to Rhea's Mills. Many of the soldiers 
had their haversacks crammed with sugar and the 
best things the enemy's commissariat afforded. The 
troops and animals had a bountiful supper and break- 
fast, and a good night's rest, and seemed as fresh as if 
they had been in camp a month. Guards were posted 
during the night at every necessary point, so that we 
would not be subject to surprise by the enemy. 

The expedition accomplished all that could be 
reasonably expected of it. We did not capture many 
prisoners, but we destroyed a large amount of rebel 
public property, and property pressed into rebel 
service by the Confederate authorities; besides bring- 
ing away with us considerable quantities of such of the 
captured supplies as we can use. 

While the ladies of Yan Buren did not, as far as I 
know, take pleasure in expressing their hatred of 
"Yankees" as they call us in that section, or show by 
their actions that they hated us at all, yet I think that 



72 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

they are nearly all strong adherents of the Southern 
cause. If there were any Union families in the city 
at the beginning of the war, they probably managed 
to move north long before we arrived. 

We bid good-bye to Yan Buren, but not without 
thoughts of returning again to stay until this contest 
shall have been decided. Our return march was con- 
ducted leisurely; the weather was pleasant and warm, 
and Cove Creek, the winding mountain stream, had 
fallen almost to its ordinary dimensions and volume, 
so that the infantry were much less inconvenienced in 
crossing and re-crossing it than when we came out on 
the 2Tth. They were nearl}^ three days on the march 
to Rhea's Mills. Most of the cavalry, however, got 
in on the evening of the 30th. 

Thus ended the expedition to Yan Buren, and in 
fact the campaign of the Army of the Frontier in 
northwestern Arkansas. 

An expedition of nearly two thousand men, mostly 
Indians, and a section of light artillery, were sent out 
under Col. W. A. Phillips, about the time we left 
Hhea's Mills, in the direction of Fort Gibson. After 
a short engagement. Col. Phillips captured and de- 
stroyed Fort Davis near Fort Gibson, on which the 
Confederate Government expended upwards of a mil- 
lion dollars. In point of importance, the success of his 
expedition deserves to be set down among the splendid 
achievements of the campaign. 

Old Year! I bid you adieu. When some future his- 
torian writes of the great events which have turned the 



ON THE BORDER.— 1863. 73 

ejes of the civilized world to this coiintrj, he will surely 
turn to you as having witnessed the greatest events in 
the history of our Government. You have brought 
sadness to the hearts of thousands of our people this 
night. I know, too, that in the hospitals near me 
there are hundreds of comrades, and among them my 
brother, whose hearts ache with the thought that they 
will never again seethe faces and sweet smiles of affec- 
tion of those dearest to them in this world. The lights 
of many noble lives are going out with you. Old year, 

FAREWELL ! 



CHAPTER III. 

The First Division Army of the Frontier moves from Rhea's Mills 
to Elm Springs — All the Federal wounded in the Field Hos- 
pitals at Prairie Grove removed to Fayetteville — General 
Blunt Relieved and starts North — General Schofield takes 
command of the Army of the Frontier — Future Operations to 
be conducted according to West Point tactics — The Army to 
retreat to the Missouri line — Reorganization of the Army — 
Colonel W. A. Phillips to command the Indian Division — A 
Battalion of the Sixth Kansas cavalry and Captain Hopkin's 
Battery to go with it — Grand Review of the Army of the 
Frontier by General Schofield — The author's last visit to his 
brother in the General Hospital at Fayetteville— The Reduc- 
tion of Transportation — Order from War Department for 
Recruiting several loyal Arkansas Regiments — General 
Marmaduke marching on Springfield — The Army of the 
Frontier on the march, except the Indian Division. 

Hail^ Happy New Year! I welcome you; though 
I know not what you have in store for us. We have 
no seer or prophet to unfold to us in doubtful and 
mysterious language the most important events which 
you will disclose to us in due time. But we have 
reason to hope that, with. honesty of purpose and per- 
sistence in the right, on the part of our leaders and of 
each of us, we shall have made substantial progress in 
accomplishing the objects for which we are striving, 
wh^n you shall have expired. 

The New Year was ushered in by a national salute 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 75 

fired from the batteries of General Herron's Division 
still encamped on the battle-field of Prairie Grove. But 
to the soldier in the field, in camp and on the march, it 
has no more significance than any other day. It is 
impossible for him to observe the forms of polite soci- 
ety. His feelings of happiness find expression in a 
sterner manner than that of flying around in full dress 
suit, kid gloves and swallow tailcoat, and in indulging 
in pretty conceits with charming maidens. He takes 
more pleasure in relating to his comrades around the 
camp fire some adventure in which he took a part, or 
some hair-breadth escape; how, for instance, he grasped 
the guidon or standard from the hand of a fallen com- 
rade, while the enemy's bullets were fiying around his 
head as thick as hail. With all the hardships and 
dangers which war entails on the soldier in the field, 
his disposition is generally not only not gloomy, but 
on the contrary, cheerful and happy. No doubt sad 
thoughts flit through his mind in regard to loved ones 
at home, but as fresh excitements are coming up every 
day, and as old battle scenes and incidents have to be 
gone over occasionally, his mind is never allowed to 
dwell long on those ideal pictures which have a natu- 
ral tendency to produce gloominess. 

The rumor that, on the return of our division from 
Yan Buren, the Army of the Frontier would move 
north-ward, turned out to be true. On the morning of 
Jaiiuary 2d, 1863, the First Division struck tents, left 
Ehea's Mills, and took up a line of march for Elm 
Springs, about twenty-two miles north. The General 



76 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

Hospitals were established at Fayetteville several days 
ago, and most of the sick and wounded have been re- 
moved there. It is the chief town in northwestern 
Arkansas, and is capable of affording much better facil- 
ities for properly caring for sick and wounded soldiers 
than could easily be provided at Rhea's Mills or Prairie 
Grove. When it is possible, I think our surgeons pre- 
fer substantial buildings for hospitals to the Field Hos- 
pital tent. If w^e were in railroad communication 
with the rest of the country, a good many of our 
wounded could be sent to their homes, where they 
would have loving wives, mothers, daughters and 
friends to look after them. Those who are conscious 
that they will never recover from their wounds or sick- 
ness, often give vent to the expression, that they would 
be perfectly content to die if they could only be per- 
mitted to die at home, surrounded by their families 
and friends. If a youni>: man gets severely wounded, 
the first thing he thinks of is his mother or his sweet- 
heart; if a married man, his wife and children. But 
a grateful government will not neglect to provide 
justly for the w^idow and orphaned children, or mother 
of the soldier who dies in defense of his country. All 
this intense longing for the affectionate regard of those 
at home we know is not unappreciated. The letters 
we receive from time to time from our relatives and 
friends, are teeming with love and affection, and are 
convincing enough that there are lacerated hearts at 
home as well as in the field. It is the consciousness 
that there exists these loves and affections that touches 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 77" 

SO deeply the heart of the soldier; and I believe it is- 
these strong affections that make the effective soldier, 
for he feels that he is fighting for the protection and 
happiness of those he loves, and whose lives are a& 
dear to him as his own life. If he thought that bj 
going to war it would ultimately subject his family to 
greater peril, and bring upon it greater unhappiness, 
he would not go. We regard a man as having lost his 
manhood if he shows no concern for the happiness 
and well-being of his familj. And in social organiza- 
tion the family is the social or political unit, and what- 
ever weakens family ties and interests must in time 
weaken the social fabric. 

On the evening of the 2nd we camped on Wild 
Cat Creek, having marched a distance of about six- 
teen miles from Eheas Mills. A heavy rain last night 
put the roads in bad condition for our trains and artil- 
lery. But as there is no necessity for rapid movement, 
and as our backs are turned towards the enemy's heels, 
we can afford to march leisurely, so as not to injure or 
br^ak down our animals. Officers and men who have 
served in a campaign like that we have just closed, 
soon learn how important it is to take every possible 
care of their cavalry, artillery and draught animals. 
We arrived at Elm Springs on the 3rd, and there seems 
to be a prospect of our remaining here several days, as- 
we hear that there is going to be shortly a reorganiza- 
tion of the Army of the Frontier. Gen. Blunt has been 
relieved, and bade his troops farewell to-day, and, with 
his staff and escort, started to Forts Scott and Leaven- 



78 MiiMOIRS OF THE REBELlilON 

worth. On account of his personal bravery and the 
brilliant achievements of his campaign, he has greatly 
endeared himself to his troops. I speak from person- 
al knowledge of his bravery. He was to the front all 
day during the battle of Cane Hill, and was only a few 
yards from Col. Jewell when he fell mortally wounded. 
At Prairie Grove too, he was on the field all the after- 
noon in dangerous positions, directing the movements 
■of his troops. And at Dripping Springs he was at 
the front with us when we charged the enemy's camp, 
and rode with the advance squadrons when we dashed 
into Yan Buren. How well he would succeed in a 
campaign which required of the Commanding General 
that every movement of his troops should be made 
with a distinct but involved end in view, I, of course, 
have no means of knowing. He is probably able to 
meet any movement his opponents are able to make 
on the military chess board. My own impression, 
however, is, that if a campaign in this section were con- 
ducted according to the military science taught at West 
Point, and embodied in General Schofield, the ene- 
my could soon put us on the defensive, and we should 
never accomplish anything except our destruction. If 
military science is a common sense view of contending 
with your foe, of warding off his blows and of strik- 
ing him most effectively, I believe in it. But if it be 
a mysterious method of directing the movements of 
troops, which no one can understand unless he be a 
graduate of West Point, then I have little confidence 
in it. A special education for a special purpose is al- 



ON THE BORDER-1868. 79 

ways desirable, and a military education no doubt 
qualifies men for organizing and skillfully handling 
large bodies of troops in time of war; but there seems 
to be such a tendency among the graduates of West 
Point to want to do something incomprehensible to the 
common mind, as to make many of them utter failures. 
Perhaps only a small percentage of each graduating 
class display any special aptitude for military science, 
or for any particular arm of the military service. It 
amounts to this, a blockhead sent to West Point is as 
apt to come out a blockhead as if he had been sent to 
any other school. If a boy who has a natural mili- 
tary genius goes to the Military Academy and gradu- 
ates, and afterwards has an opportunity to develop his 
military genius, I think the chances are that he will 
make a great military commander. Such special apti- 
tudes may be inherited through a line of ancestors, or 
they may be due to powerful antenatal influences. 
Napoleon's military genius is said to have been due to 
the latter cause. 

General John M. Schofield assumed command of the 
Army of the Frontier on the 4th. I understand that 
he has virtually been in command of it since our re- 
turn from Yan Buren. Had he arrived here a few 
days sooner, it is probable that the expedition to Yan 
Buren would never have been made. He is a gradu- 
ate of the Military Academy, and I suppose that mil- 
tary operations will now be conducted according to 
the military science taught at West Point. We shall 
see. In the first place it seems that we are already 



80 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

under orders to continue our march further northward, 
though there is not an officer or soldier in our divis- 
ion who does not feel sure in his own mind that there 
is not an organized force of the enemy in western Ar- 
kansas, north of the river. If this be true, and the 
Commanding General should know whether it is or 
not, then why continue to fall back and give up the 
country we have gained at the cost of so many lives 
and of so much toil and sufiering? Is it because the 
present Commanding General did not direct the 
movements of our army in gaining the splendid vic- 
tories that we have won? The jealousies of military 
rivals have already in other instances been a curse to 
our arms. 

The reorganization of the Army of the FrontieVy 
which I have already mentioned as probable, is to take 
place immediately. General F. J. Ilerron is to com- 
mand the second and third divisions. Colonel William 
Weir, Tenth Kansas infantry, the lirst division, and 
Colonel William A. Phillips, Third Indian regiment, 
the Indian division, consisting of all the Indian troops, 
one battalion of the Sixth Kansas cavalry, and Captain 
Hopkin's battery formerly attached to Colonel Cloud'& 
brigade. With this force I understand that Colonel 
Phillips will take up a position near Maysville, 
Benton county, Arkansas, a little town right on the 
line of the Cherokee Nation. I have been assigned to 
duty as Commissary Sergeant of this battalion of the 
Sixth Kansas cavalry, and directed to report to 
Captain John W. Orahood, the senior officer. Lieu- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 



81 



tenant John S. Lane, the Eegimental Commissary, 
accompanies the other battalion, together with the 
other field and staff officers of our regiment. 
^ On the 6th, General Schofield arrived at Elm Springs 
for the purpose of reviewing the First Division 
before any important movement shall have been made 
The different arms of the service are therefore actively 
engaged in making preparations for the Grand Eeview 
to-morrow. This is a kind of military luxury of which 
we have had very little experience. During the 
autumn of 1861, however, when we were in General 
James H. Lane's command, we had several reviews 
and sham battles. But since then we have had 
nothmg on as extensive a scale as that which is to take 
place to-morrow. All the men reported present for 
duty of the following organizations, are ordered to 
turn ont with their arms and equipments complete, 
^-wit: Cavalry, Second, Sixth and Ninth Kansas, and 
Ihird Wisconsin; infantry-Tenth, Eleventh and 
Ihirteenth Kansas, and JSTinth Wisconsin; First 
Second and Third Indian regiments; artillery-Capt' 
Rabbs, Second Indiana battery. First and Second Kan- 
sas batteries, and Captain Hopkin's four gun battery, 
which was captured from the enemy, besides two 
twelve-pound howitzer batteries, attached to the Sixth 
andJSTmth regiments Kansas cavalry, respectively. 

Well, the gala day is over; we have had the Grand 
Review, and I think that we made a very creditable 
appearance. We formed in line in an open field, and 
the ground is rather favorable, considering the general 



82 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

broken condition of the country,for reviewing an army 
no larger than ours. After we had gone through a 
few evohitions upon the field, we then formed in line, 
and in a short time General Schofield and staff, and 
several mounted messengers, galloped along our front 
and took up a position near our extreme right. Some 
of the soldiers within mj hearing remarked, looking 
at their gay uniforms as they passed along, "Too 
much fuss and feathers for a fighting general. " The 
whole command then formed in columns of companies, 
and marched by the place where General Scofield and 
staff had posted themselves. The brass bands, march- 
ing at the head of brigades and playing soul-stirring 
airs, give additional interest to the fine display made 
by the troops. Thus ended the Grand Review, after 
which we marched to our respective camps. This is 
probably the last time the first Division will ever all be 
together. It seems to be the intention to break it up 
into brigades and detachments, and to scatter these 
along the southern border counties of Missouri and 
northern Arkansas. If w^e are not going to make any 
effort to hold a more advanced position, or even our 
present position, or if we are no longer to assume the 
offensive, perhaps to scatter the troops in this manner 
is the best policy. 

This morning (the 8th) General Schofield, staff and 
escort left for Fayetteville, as I understand to review 
the second and third divisions under command of 
General Herron. It does not appear that General 
Schofield has established any headquarters here with 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. ^ 83 

the army. It is therefore' thought that his presence 
here is only temporary, and that after he shall have 
made such disposition of his troops as in his judgment 
seems best, that he will return to Springfield or 
St. Louis. 

As we shall march away from here in two or three 
daySj I obtained permission to go to Fayetteville to-day 
to see my brother who is in the general hospital there. 
He was in right good spirits when I came to him, 
though her complained that the wound which he re- 
ceived in the shoulder at the battle of Coon Creek last 
August, caused him intense suffering 'at times. He 
also informed me that the old wound which he received 
through the thigh a little over a year ago, had broken 
out again, an& gave him much j^ain when he made cer- 
tain movements, and his weight came on that leg. He 
still clings to the ball that passed straight through his 
thigh, touching the femoral artery and lodging on the 
opposite side just under the skin. When it was cut 
from the wound the conical end of the elongated ball 
was found to be considerably flattened, having struck 
the femur or thigh bone. But he says that he cannot 
bear to have the surgeons probe any more for the ball 
which he still carries in his shoulder, as it has either 
broken through the encysting and poisoning his blood 
or touching some very sensitive part. He expressed 
a strong desire to be at home, but thought that he had 
not strength enough to be transported in an ambulance 
so far, even if he could get permission to go. I en- 
couraged him to be cheerful, and said that I hoped he 



84 MEMOIRS OF THE REBEELION 

would come out of this all riglit, and be able to report 
to his company for duty in a few weeks, or in a lew 
months at the farthest. I then bid him adieu, but not 
without emotion, for I have serious doubts of his re- 
covery; the lines of his expression ^vere not natural, 
and his life is ebbing away through the wound in his 
shoulder. But 1 will not mourn my brother dead who 
is yet living. 

The order for the reduction of our transportation 
goes into eifect to-day. Hereafter each cavalry regi- 
ment will be entitled to only sixteen four-mule wag- 
ons, and each infantry regiment to twelve four-mule 
wagons. This seems a wise measure adopted by the 
"War Department, for during an active campaign troops 
should be encumbered as little as possible with large 
trains and useless baggage. Five hundred wagons 
and teams in motion, stretch over a distance of sev- 
eral miles, and in an enemy's country always require 
a large force of cavalry to protect them. They also of- 
fer inducements to the enemy to fit out expeditions 
for their capture or destruction. Though officers and 
soldiers will have to dispense w^ith certain conveniences 
which they have heretofore enjoyed, yet I think that 
they will soon see that by doing so, there will be en- 
tailed upon them no great hardships. Our object is 
to beat the enemy at every point with as little sacri- 
fice of life and public property as possible. If large 
trains embarrass our movements, and if we can get 
along with smaller ones without decreasing our effec- 
tiveness, we should do it without a murmur. 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 85 

It was reported a few days ago that authority had 
been obtained from the Secretary of War for rais- 
ing two regiments of Federal troops in this State, one 
cavalry and one infantry. This report I find is true, 
and the recruiting is to commence at once, and the reg- 
iments will probably be organized and in the field by 
spring. For the present, Col. Ferguson is to have 
charge of the matter, with headquarters at Fayetteville. 
Once organized and equipped, these regiments will be 
a valuable acquistion to our army in holding this sec- 
tion. Our troops have shown that they have no hatred 
or ill will towards the peeple with whom we are con- 
tending; that we only want them to lay down their 
arms and renew their allegiance to the G-overnment. 
The consequence is, I think, that we have made 
friends of many of those who had been misinformed 
and had a rather bad opinion of us before we came 
into this State. At the beginning of the war there 
was a strong Union sentiment in nearly all the counties 
of northwestern Arkansas; and also in other sections 
of the State. And now that there is an opportunity 
for those whose sympathies have all along been with 
the Government, to assist it by organizing for the de- 
fense of their lives and homes, we may reasonably ex- 
pect that these two regiments will soon have their 
maximum of men. If they see that there is a proba- 
bility of our permanently holding this part of the 
State, many of those who are refugees to Missouri 
and Kansas, will doubtless return and enter the ser- 
vice. 



86 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

A post has been established at Neosho, Missouri. 
Major John A. Foreman with a battalion of Indian 
troops, has already been ordered there. A large num- 
ber of refugee Indian families are in that vicinity, 
and they are all to be collected at that point to remain 
until spring. There is an abundant supply of fine 
spring water at Neosho, and as it is in a wooded re- 
gion plenty of fuel can be easily furnished them at a 
small cost during the winter. Their subsistence sup- 
plies can also perhaps be mostly drawn from that sec- 
tion. 

Last night, the 8th, the First division, with the ex- 
ception of the Indian command, having received or- 
ders, struck tents and moved out quite suddenly. 
Some of the troops that left last night, are ordered to 
Springfield, Missouri, on a forced march, as General 
Marmaduke with a division of cavalry, and several bat- 
teries of light artillery, is reported on the way there, 
having passed through this State three days ago, about 
seventy-five miles east of us. General E.B. Brown, with 
a considerable force of Missouri State troops and some 
artillery, will doubtles give the enemy a warm recep- 
tion if they attack him before the reinforcements get 
there. 

That one is obliged to separate from those with 
whom he has shared the dangers and hardships of the 
field for more than a year, is cause for profound feel- 
ings of sadness. Serving in a common cause, and 
sharing alike dangers and hardships, tends to unite 
men by the strongest ties of friendship. 



ON THE BOKDER-1863. 87 

Though many of our troops have been in the service 
less than sixth months, yet they have moved forward 
with brave hearts and unfaltering steps, never swerv- 
ing from the path of duty. Veterans could not have 
performed more effective service, and service of which 
the true soldier may well feel proud. Military achieve- 
ments of less consequence, as far as bettering men's 
condition is concerned, than the achievements of the 
Army of the Frontier^ have been recorded and handed 
down to us through twenty-five centuries. Many in- 
fant children now in the arms of their mothers, when 
grown to manhood or womanhood, will doubtless re- 
fer with pride to the services of their fathers in this 
campaign. 



CHAPTEE lY. 

Colonel W. A. Phillips assumes command of the Indian division — 
The author to go with it— The division marches to Maysville 
on the western line of Arkansas — A skirmish with guerrillas — 
A snow storm and difficulty in getting forage— Colonel Phillips, 
not only a military commander but also a governor of several 
Indian tribes — His position requires great executive ability 
— Skirmishes with guerrillas becoming frequent — Bush- 
whackers living in a cave — Remarks on how caves are formed 
— How Stalactites are formed — How stalacmitic matter may 
preserve to distant ages in the future some account of the 
war — In a few years all external evidences of the war will 
have disappeared— Description of the country and of its 
resources — Colored refugees increasing — Their destitute con- 
dition — Col. Phillips' orders — Repairing of the mills — The 
battle at Springfield — Gen. Marmaduke defeated. 

In some respects perhaps it would have been more 
agreeable to me to have remained with that portion of 
the Army of the Frontier from which we have been 
detached. But with a soldier, preferences should 
count for nothing when duty stands in the way. And 
looking at the matter in this light, I of course accept 
the situation and enter upon the discharge of my duties 
in this new field without the slightest dissatisfaction. 
How he can be of most service to his country is a 
thought that should animate the true soldier, and out- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 89 

weigh all other thoughts in his mind. But it may 
turn out that our new field of operations will not be 
destitute of interest or barren of results worth setting 
down. If it should be, however, it will be easy enough 
to stop writing, or expunge that which is worthless. 
But our new Commander, Colonel W. A. Phillips, I 
know is an able and an accomplished officer, audit is not 
likely that he will allow us to languish in inglorious 
inactivity. ISFo officer of the first division has im- 
pressed me more favorably. The first time that I ever 
saw him was at the battle of Locust Grove, near Grand 
Saline, the 2d of last July, when we captured Colonel 
Clarkson and his command of one hundred and ten 
men. Even Colonel Jewell, who was also present on that 
occasion, did not display more conspicuous bravery than 
Colonel Phillips. The night's march, the short and 
decisive engagement, just at the dawn of that lovely 
summer's morning, will be remembered by those who 
participated, while they live. Colon el Phillips received 
much praise for the ability with which he handled his 
brigade at Indian Creek, Neosho, and Newtonia, last 
September. On other occasions, too, he has shown 
himself to be a brave officer, and yet one who never 
loses his head. It was mainly through his exertions 
that authority was obtained from the War Department 
to organize and equip the three Indian regiments. 
Having been a staff correspondent of the New York 
Tribune, and a personal friend of Assistant Secretary 
of War, Dana, j)erhaps no one in Kansas could com- 
mand more respectful attention from the authorities at 
Washington, in such a matter. 



90 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

I shall not, however, start out with a panegyric, or 
endeavor to build up hopes of any extraordinary 
military achievement, for he has taken a command 
with which I think it will be exceedingly difficult, if 
not almost impossible, to accomplish anything of great 
consequence. We must be patient. The future will 
disclose to us the wisdom or folly of his actions. 

We left Elm Springs on the morning of 10th, and 
arrived at Camp Walker, near Maysville, on the even- 
ing of the 11th, having marched a distance ot about 
thirty-five miles. The country that we passed over 
is' generally poor, but has some fine forests, and is sup- 
plied with abundance of good spring water. In some 
of these springs the water is as clear as crystal; it rises 
out of the earth almost like a fountain, and runs away 
in a strong swift current. How delightful these 
springs would be to the thirsty traveller in an arid 
region. The hills that we passed over are covered 
with flints of every conceivable shape and size, except 
that there are few above a hundred pounds weight. 
They do not, however, seem to have ever been rolled 
about and worn by the action of water, like peb- 
bles along the sea shore, constantly kept in motion by 
the tides. 

Our camp here is called Camp Curtis, in honor of 
General Samuel R. Curtis who commanded our forces 
at the battle of Pea E-idge in this county last March. 
This locality has been quite noted as a camping ground 
and rendezvous of the rebel armies of Missouri find 
Arkansas since the beginning of the war. It is just 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 91 

in the edge of the prairie region, and grounds could 
scarcely be laid out to better advantage for drilling 
and maneuvering large bodies of troops. The enemy, 
however, are not likely to have a camp of instruction 
here again. We were encamped near here ujDwards of 
a week last October, after the battle of Old Fort 
Wayne, in which we captured General Cooper's ar- 
tillery. 

It looks now as if our chief occupation, for a while 
at least, is going to be that of fighting and chasing 
bushwhackers. Captain Anderson, of the 3rd Indian 
regiment, v/as sent out on the 12th with a detachment 
of fifty men, and had a skirmish with a party of guerril- 
las, in which he lost one man killed and had one wound- 
ed. He reports that he killed two of the enemy, the 
rest having made their escape. The hilly condition of 
the country to the east of us is favorable for carrying 
on guerrilla operations. But this is a kind of war- 
fare more suitable to the disposition of our Indian 
than to our white soldiers. Guerrillas in the vicinity 
of this command will therefore probably have all they 
desire of their own kind of warfare. 

Col. Phillips sent out on the morning of the 13th, 
his first train to Fort Scott for supplies, guarded by 
an escort of two hundred men. At this season, escort 
duty and teaming are not very desirable kinds of ser- 
vice. We are just beginning to feel the pinch of win- 
ter, though w^ehad three or four inches of; snow and 
several rather cold days about a week before we started 
on the expedition to Yan Buren. Men and animals 



92 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

now on the road, especially if thejare facing the north- 
west winds on those bleak prairies which extend, for a 
distance of seventy -five miles south of Fort Scott, will 
suffer much more from cold than we do in camp. It 
takes from five to seven days for a train to come down 
from Fort Scott, the distance being about one hundred 
and twenty-five miles. 

Yesterday morning (15th) a violent snow storm set 
in and continued all day. We are therefore beginning 
to experience considerable difficulty in getting suf- 
ficient forage for our animals, for when the First divis- 
ion was encamped in this vicinity last fall, we consum- 
ed nearly all the forage that could be found for miles 
around. A large force of the enemy under General 
Cooper, had also been foraging ofi" this section before 
our arrival. And as this is not much of an agricul- 
tural region, it will be seen that there is just cause for 
the complaint of scarcity of forage. But Colonel 
Phillips is watchful of the wants of his troops and 
public animals, and will no doubt do all that can be 
done to prevent them from suffering for want of ne- 
cessary supplies. He sends out daily foraging parties 
and trains, and they generally go from ten to fifteen 
miles from camp. This gives us a circuit of about 
thirty miles, a considerable area of country to forage 
from. When we shall have exhausted all the forage 
within fifteen miles of our camp, we will probably es- 
tablish another camp outside of this radius. If this 
plan is carried out, as I have no doubt it will be, I 
think that we can get our animals through the winter 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 93 

in fair condition. Although we have been constantly 
scouting and marching and skirmishing since we came 
into this State last fall, we have lost comparatively few 
animals from having been broken down in the service. 
Our main losses have of course been cavalry horses. 
But the safety and comfort of his command, while 
conducting military operations in this section, are not 
the sole object of solicitude to Colonel Phillips. Nor 
is his function that of a military commander alone. 
He is placed in a position where he must act as gov- 
ernor of several different nations, all in a state of chaos. 
Since the war commenced, the Indians of the Cherokee, 
Creek, and Seminole nations, have been almost equally 
divided on the questions which have arrayed the two 
sections of the country against each other. But as the 
rebel authorities sent troops to occupy the country of 
these Indians immediately after hostilities commenced, 
and held undisputed possession of it until our expe- 
dition of last summer, the loyalists were obliged to 
leave their homes or contend with unequal odds, with 
the chances of being continually beaten and finally 
driven out. Hence when we withdrew from the Indian 
Territory last August, and brought out the Chief, 
/ohn Koss, and some of the national archives and 
treasury, thousands of loyal Indian families, Cherok- 
ees. Creeks, and Seminoles, accompanied us as far as 
Baxter Springs, on the southern line of Kansas. While 
at Baxter Springs, and indeed since they have been ex- 
iles from their homes, theGovernment has issued them 
rations, and looked after them to mollify their hard- 



94 MilMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

ships as much as possible. And though the greater 
proportion of these Indian families have remained in 
Southwest Missouri, since the opening of the campaign 
last September ; and though some have returned to 
their homes in the nation since we drove the enemy 
out ; yet there seems to be a fair prospect that the 
" Refugee Camp " will continue to increase in size 
during the rest of the winter. The wants and neces- 
sities of these people will constantly demand the atten- 
tion of Colonel Phillips in various ways. How ably 
and satisfactorily he shall conduct the affairs which de- 
volve upon him, remains to be seen. It will thus also 
be seen that his position requires of him to be, if he 
manages matters successfully, not only a judicious 
military commander, but also to possess, in a fair meas- 
ure, the knowledge of civil affairs. A man who pos- 
sesses both of these qualifications in a marked degree, 
is rarely found. We have reason to believe that we 
have such a man in the person of Colonel Phillips, for 
every one has some pride that those with whom he acts 
in any given venture shall act creditably. That is, no 
man who possesses a sense of patriotic devotion, likes 
to have his name associated with inglorious defeat, or 
any public action upon which rests a stigma or even 
unfavorable comment. 

The skirmishes between our scouting parties and 
small detachments of guerrillas which infest this sec- 
tion are becoming so frequent, that hereafter I shall 
not attempt to give the details and result of each day 
separate, but will endeavor to give some account of the 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 95 

most important contests. There would be a good deal 
of repetition should I detail the movements and skir- 
mishes of every scouting or foraging party sent out. 
When any casualties occur they are noted on the mus- 
ter rolls of the company. That is, if a soldier is killed, 
wounded, or taken prisoner, or has his horse killed or 
captured, the fact is duly noted. I may add that since 
we left Elm Springs, our troops have killed, according 
to my daily memoranda, nine bushwhackers, and sus- 
tained a loss of three men killed and two wounded. 

A woman from the country came into camp yester- 
day evening (17th) and reported that she knew of 
three or four bushwhackers, who were living in a 
cave, some eight miles distant from the command. 
A detachment of cavalry was sent to the locality of 
the cave; but returned without being able to find the 
enemy or any indications that they had recently oc- 
cupied the cave as an abiding place. Our men, ho'w- 
ever, did not venture into the cave, as it would have re- 
quired too great a sacrifice of life to dislodge them from 
such a fortress, if they were really there and well armed, 
unless we should close the mouth of the cave and 
compel them to feel the pinch of hunger. What a 
novel place for men to take up their abode! But 
when we are enjoying freedom and security, and the 
rewards of honest toil, it is perhaps difiicult for us to 
imagine what modes of life we might be inclined to 
adopt under the pressure of circumstances. It is well 
known that caves do not undergo very radical changes 
of temperature during the seasons. I have visited a 



96 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

cave on my father's estate a good many times, and I re- 
member that it was always almost imcomfortably cool 
on a warm summer day, and pleasantly warm on a win- 
ter day. Considerable attention has recently been given 
to cavern researches in England and France. And in 
several instances the bones of men and some domestic 
implements and riidely-made weapons have been 
found, which show beyond a reasonable doubt that 
the human race has existed on this earth for a period 
much longer than that which we have been taught. 
While we were encamped at Camp Moonlight, about 
twenty miles south of here, the early part of last No- 
vember, I was permitted to accompany a party of 
officers and soldiers on a visit to a cave much larger 
than the one near our present camp. We did not go 
very far into it from the entrance, but we went far 
enough to see some beautiful stalactites hanging from 
the roof like icicles which hang from the eaves of a 
house after the snow has commenced to melt and run 
down its sloping roof. Were everything favorable, I 
should like to visit the cave near us, but of course not 
with the view of making careful investigations, for 
that would take time and a large expenditure of 
money. But when peace shall bless our country 
again, and the spirit of inquiry increases, perhaps in- 
teresting researches will be made into the history of 
these caves, which will throw some light on the 
various forms of life that once inhabited them. 
Curious thoughts are apt to come into one's mind 
after visiting one of these natural wonders. What 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 97 

caused it? How long since it was formed? These 
are exceedingly interesting questions to those whose 
minds seek a rational explanation of every natural 
phenomenon. But when we come to understand 
something about how a cave has been formed,, we are 
not likely to press the question, " How long since?" 
It is a notable fact that all the caves in this country 
are in limestone formations. Now it is well known 
to every one who has given any attention to chem- 
istry, that a solution of water and carbonic acid will 
dissolve pieces of limestone, when put into it. Rain- 
water is known to contain carbonic acid, the propor- 
tion, perhaps, depending upon the season. It is easy 
to imagine, then, that the rain falling on these hills must 
have always run down through the soil until the 
water came to the limestone; and that when it pene- 
trated it, it dissolved a portion of it, the ex- 
tent of dissolution, however, depending upon the 
amount of carbonic acid the rain water con- 
tained. Everyone who has been in a cave can 
probably call to mind the sound of dropping water 
from the roof of the cave, which he heard here and 
there. Well, every drop of water that falls from the 
roof to theiloor, is supposed to hold in solution a very 
small quantity of the limestone. But when the water 
comes to separate from the dissolved limestone it leaves 
a thin film of solid material, different in character 
from the original limestone. When the water drops 
from the roof of the cave, it leaves a thin film attached 
to the roof, which gradually assumes the form and ap- 
7 



98 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

pearance of an icicle. This is called a stalactite. The 
film that forms on the floor after the water has left it, 
is called the stalacmite. 

It will thus be seen that the formation of a cave is 
a perfectly natural, though an extremely slow process. 
It is like removing the sands from the sea shore by 
taking a grain at a time. How long it has taken to 
form a stalactite as long as one's arm, we have no 
means of knowing as far as the caves in this section 
are concerned. Nor have I ever heard that the thick- 
ness of the stalacmite formations of the caves of this 
region have ever been measured or any efforts made 
to find out the nature of the deposits under them, or 
contemporaneous with their growth. 

Reflecting on stalacmitic formations and the eviden- 
ces of ancient life they may contain, this thought has 
come into my mind. Suppose that one of our soldiers 
or one of the enemies, on account of the stress of 
weather or imminent danger, should take to a cave 
and die in it with his arms and accoutrements beside 
him. After a while, perhaps, the drops of water from 
the roof of the cave falling on his bones and arms, 
would leave thereon a formation of stalacmitic matter. 
And should the men of some future age decide to in- 
vestigate the history of these caves and find the bones 
and arms cemented together with stalacmitic matter, 
they might be able to determine the age to which they 
belonged, and nearly the exact time it had taken to 
produce a formation of stalacmitic matter of a given 
thickness. Our pistols and carbines and sabers have 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 99 

the name of the manufacturer or patentee, and the 
year tliey were made, stamped upon them. Though 
there are many chances that in time these would be- 
come obliterated by rust, yet under certain conditions 
they might not. At any rate the subject is one upon 
which the mind delights to dwell for a moment. And 
in this connection there arises the further thoug-ht. 
Is it possible, that in a few years, not a vestige of the 
storms of war which have recently swept back and 
forth over this section, will be left to the future in- 
habitants of these pleasant valleys and prairies ? Is it 
possible that in a few years and on these grounds a 
comfortable mansion may arise, whose dwellers will be 
all unconscious that we were ever here for warlike 
purposes, and our arms stained with the blood of men 
who were recently our friends and brothers? Probably 
in a few years from now there will be many peaceful 
dwellings by the road-side in this section, whose occu- 
pants may never dream that the tramping of marching 
squadrons, the rattling of artillery carriages, and the 
clanging of sabers, might have recently been heard 
upon the public highways. How evanescent are the 
actions of men ! Even the pyramids of Egypt must 
in time crumble to dust. We do not know but that 
if the light of the past could be thrown upon these 
grounds and over these regions, we should see hostile 
armies of even greater magnitude than ours or that 
of the enemy, operating against each other. It is now 
considered by those who ought to be competent au- 
thority, that this western country was once occupied by 



100 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

a race of people quite different, in some respects, to 
our present Indians. At various places in the Missis- 
sippi valley mounds are found which are known to 
have been thrown up by human hands; and in some 
instances there have also been found human skeletons, 
pieces of pottery and implements indicative of their 
domestic life. These mounds are believed to be of 
high intiquity and not to have been made by any of 
the existing races of North America. If a numerous 
people inhabited the Mississippi valley at some distant 
age of the past, they also probably spread over this 
region, for its ever-living streams, lovely valleys, and 
occasional prairies, must always have been very invit- 
ing to peoples following a nomadic or pastoral life. 

Though our camp is on the edge of a prairie, the 
country a few miles to the east of us is rugged and 
hilly, and less adapted to agricultural purposes than 
the country to the west of us, in the Grand Kiver val- 
ley. But as the Grand River country belongs to the 
Cherokees, no one can say when its agricultural re- 
sources will be developed, even should the war close 
immediately. 

The number of negro refugees, who have gained 
their freedom since we came into this State, are getting 
to be a good deal of a burden. Their almost desti- 
tute condition, causes many of them to commit acts 
that are not sanctioned by our ideas of strict morality. 
Weiind employment for some of them as teamsters 
and servants, but still there are many more who are 
unemployed. We send a good many to Kansas every 
time that our supply trains return to Fort Scott. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 101 

Many of them are quite shiftless, and it will probably 
be some time before they appreciate to a very great 
extent the value of their freedom. But we should be 
charitable towards them, and not magnify their short- 
comings, nor oppress them, so that they will feel ob- 
liged to commit unlawful acts. I think that there is 
a tendency on our part to overlook their many disad- 
vantages, when considering their moral actions. AVith 
their past life of slavery and degradation, and with 
the pinch of hunger and cold affecting them at pres- 
ent, we ought not to expect all their actions to be per- 
fectly free of censure. Those who have tasted of only 
a small proportion of the fruits of tlieir own toil, 
are not likely to try before their consciences with much 
deliberation, the offense of chicken stealing, when they 
are suffering from hunger. As these people have not 
been property owners, it will probably be some time be- 
fore they have very definite ideas of proprietary rights. 
"We should not therefore be surprised to hear of a 
larger proportion of them during the next generation, 
guilty of unlawfully appropriating the property of 
others, than among the white population. 

It seems to me that we might be relieved of a good 
deal of our present embarrassment by organizing a 
corps of colored troops. The amount of money the 
Government paid the men tor their services would 
be almost sufficient to take care of their families. 
There is, however, considerable prejudice yet among 
our officers and soldiers in regard to organizing them 
into regiments, but as their ii-eedom throughout the 



102 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

country is sure to come at an early day, 1 can see no 
good reason why they should not be taken into the 
military service at once, indeed just as fast as they see 
fit to enlist. Having always been accustomed to obey 
orders, and being naturally of docile dispositions, I 
am inclined to believe that, if properly organized and 
officered, they will make excellent soldiers. While I 
think that intelligent soldiers may be more effective 
in the field than those of lower intelligence, I do not 
believe that either are likely to accomplish great deeds 
under incompetent and inefficient officers. 

To relieve as far as possible the demands of liungei^ 
among the refugee families on the outskirts of our 
camp, Colonel Phillips has ordered that all the mills 
in this vicinity be repaired, so that such grain as can 
be found may be ground into meal and flour for 
distribution among those whose necessities are most 
pressing. He also occasionally makes a tour of 
personal inspection among the refugees, that he may 
know from his own observation something of the 
condition of those whom the fortunes of war have 
driven to seek our protection. 

Yesterday evening (17th) a detachment of cavalry 
guarding a supply train from Cross Hollows, near Pea 
Pidge, with rations for this command, brought infor- 
mation that General Marmaduke, whom we fonght at 
Cane Hill last November, attacked Springfield, 
Missouri, on the 8th instant, with a force of three or 
four thousand rebel cavalry and artillery. General E. 
B. Brown who commanded our troopa, nearly all of 



' ' ON THE BORDER— 1863. 103 

whom were Missouri State Milita, made a gallant 
defense of tlie place, and repulsed tlie enemy after a 
day of fighting and skirmishing. General Marma- 
duke captured two unimportant positions in the 
southern quarter of the city, but after some sharp 
fighting his men were soon driven from them. Our 
troops had constructed several temporary forts, which 
were protected by stockades and trenches, so that a 
small force could hold the place against a superior 
force of the enemy. Though the enemy made several 
gallant charges and captured two positions, he could 
not hope to capture the stronger positions except by 
storming them, and he had not made sufficient prepar- 
ations to undertake this with a reasonable prospect of 
success. General Marmaduke, finding that General 
Brown was hourly expecting reinforcements and would 
soon be able to take the offensive, withdrew from the 
contest and marched in a southeast direction. Many 
of the houses of the citizens were badly damaged by 
shot and shell from the enemy's artillery, and a few 
were also destroyed by fire. General Brown congrat- 
ulated his troops for their gallant defense of the city, 
and regretted that he was unable to vigorously press 
the enemy in his retreat for want of cavalry. 

Our troops that left Elm Springs on the night of the 
8tli were nearly two days too late to participate in the 
engagement at Springfield. There was undoubtedly 
a blunder somewhere, or else our commanding General 
is not shrewd enough to match General Marmaduke. 
It was almost stupidity to allow the enemy to march 
around us without our knowledge of his movements. 



104 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION ' 

We hear now that Colonel Phillips' new command 
is to be known as the Eighth and Ninth Districts 
Department of the Missouri. It embraces southwest 
Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, and the Cherokee 
Nation. Considering the interests involved and the 
difficulties of his new position, he is justly entitled to 
the rank of Brigadier General, particularly if his pres- 
ent assignment is not a temporary arrangement. 

In the afternoon of the 21st, Captain Hopkin's bat- 
tery was taken out on the prairies near camp,for the pur- 
pose of spending a few hours in artillery practice. 
This is the battery that I have already referred to as 
the one we captured from General Cooper's command 
at Old Fort Wayne, three miles west of our present 
camp, the 21st of last October. The guns are in ex- 
cellent condition, and though most of the artillery- 
men have had only a few months' drill, yet from the 
target practice this afternoon, they show that they 
would do effective work should the occasion shortly 
arise. 

While on this ground I may mention that my 
father was held as a citizen prisoner near here last 
April by the rebel Colonel Coffey ; and was condem- 
ned to be shot, but was exchanged the day before exe- 
cution was to take place. He was captured by the 
enemy while guiding Colonel Doubleday's Second 
Ohio cavalry from Kansas into South-w^est Missouri, 
and brought to Camp Walker and held several weeks. 
The rebel authorities had ordered shot quite a num- 
ber of Union citizen prisoners, because they charged 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 105 

that our troops had shot a number of disloyal citizens. 
I doubt whether our troops ever shot any disloyal 
citizens after they were regularly captured, unless 
they were among those classed as bushwhackers, and 
who had committed some outrageous acts. 

At eight o'clock on the evening of the 22d, with a 
detail of fourteen men, I was directed to proceed to 
Neosho with dispatches for the commanding officer at 
that post, and for the commanding general at Spring- 
field. As it is the intention of our division to spend 
the winter in this section ; and as we are not likely 
to commence any offensive operation until towards 
spring, I have permission to remain at Neosho two 
weeks, to see some of my relatives and friends whom 
I have not seen since the war commenced. I look 
back upon the past year with a good deal of pride, for 
I have not been absent from my post of duty a single 
day. And in the discharge of my duties, 1 believe 
that I have given satisfaction to those with whom I 
have had to deal. Though we have had a Lieutenant 
and Commissary with us a part of the time, being a 
subordinate, I have generally had all the work to do, 
and it is no small task to issue rations to a full regi- 
ment of cavalry, as I have had to do when the regi- 
ment was all together. If I could issue unbroken 
packages, of course there would be but little labor. 
As it is, I am obliged to weigh and measure in all con- 
ceivable quantities, sugar, salt, coffee, tea, beans, etc., 
besides I must cut up the fresh beef and bacon into 
pieces of just so many pounds weight, and if a scout- 



106 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

ing party is going out during the night, as generally 
happens, it may become necessary to issue to it extra 
rations, and to stay up half the night to do it. I must 
be extremely careful in all my calculations, seeing to 
it that no company, detachment or the hospital, gets 
any more or less than its exact regulation allow- 
ance. This little retrospect of my own duties I hope 
is permissible, as I am going to have a respite of a 
few days. The sky was heavily overcast, and there 
was no moon, and the night was intensely dark. But 
on this account we thought that we would be less 
likely to come in contact with the enemy's guerillas, 
and the necessity of being constantly on our guard 
would chase sweet sleep from our eyes. 



CHAPTER Y. 

The author at Neosho, Missouri, ipr a few days— Ante-bellum times 

and reminiscensces — Description of the town The Grand 

Falls and water-power mills in the country — Fertility of the 
soil on the river bottoms — Fencing which enclosed most of 
the farms destroyed— About half the people loyal— Indiscrimi- 
nate destruction of property condemned— A double sacrilice 
put upon Missouri loyalists — A picture of desolated homes — 
Guerrilla warfare and Federal losses in the State— The Militia 
occupying Newtonia and fortifying it— Their efficiency— 
Mostly State troops that opposed General Marmaduke at the 
battle of Springfield on the 9th— Flag raising at Neosho — 
The National Flag scornfully regarded by rebels— Geurrillas 
at Granby— The rich lead mines there, but no longer worked 
— Author informed of the death of his brother at Fayetteville 
— A mother's picture of a united family. 

We arrived at Neosho on tlie morning of the 23(1, 
having inarched fortj-five miles in twelve hours. Our 
route was through a thickly wooded region all the 
way. It continued cloudy and was intensely dark, and 
there was a drizzling rain nearly all night. We had to 
trust to our horses keeping on tlie path, as they see 
better in the darkness than men. It frequently occur- 
red that we could not tell whether we were on the 
road or not, for we could not distinguish a white hand- 
kerchief an arms length in front of us. Immediately 



108 MEMOIKS OF THE REBELLION 

on our arrival at l^feosho I delivered the dispatches 
and mail to Major John A Foreman, commanding 
officer of the post, who at once sent them by another 
detachment on to Springfield. 

I breakfasted at home with father and mother and 
the family, the first time for nearly two years. Mother 
was nearly wild with delight to see me, so many 
exciting events have taken place in this section since 
the last time she saw me. Though we were within 
twelve miles of here last September at the battle of 
!Newtonia, I did not have an opportunity of coming 
home. She heard the booming of artillery all that 
day, and knowing that my brother and I were with 
our troops, felt great anxiety until she heard that we 
were all right. 

When we came in sight of the place, I could hardly 
bring my mind, I regret to say, into a condition to 
greet it with much warmth of feeling. It is easy to 
imagine an instance in which, when one person pur- 
posely or carelessly ofiends another, and afterwards 
without having made any apology or explanation, of- 
fers his hand, and of the ofiended party hesitating 
whether to take it or not. Such were my feelings. 
I could hardly make up my mind to give the place 
the right hand of fellowship, even if the place had 
welcomed my return. Since the Kansas troubles a 
large majority of the people of this place have display- 
ed such a spirit of intolerance and want of respect 
towards those who differed with them in regard to pol- 
itical issues, that the sight of the town fails to arouse 



ON THE BORDEE— 1863. 109 

the slightest thrill of affection and reverence. There 
were a few abolitionists who resided here before the war, 
and they were frequently engaged in warm discussions 
in regard to the slavery question. They could talk with 
some pro-slavery men with moderation, but others to 
whom they talked, became passionate and even violent, 
declaring that no abolitionist should be permitted to 
live in this section and inculcate his pernicious doc- 
trine. I have always noticed that those who cling ten- 
aciously to principles which they cannot defend, get 
out of patience if you press them too hard with their 
illogicalities or inconsistencies. But though the ab- 
olitionists were frequently insulted and threatened, 
they persisted in expressing their convictions to those 
who desired to know them. Though less than a dozen 
in the county, they did not deny or make any efforts, 
to conceal the fact that they were abolitionists. There 
were quite a number of men who were about half in 
sympathy with them, that is, whose political convict- 
ions were gradually undergoing a change, and they 
were not very decided in their expressions either way. 
Some people had such peculiar notions about abolition- 
ists that the word was used in a good many families 
to frighten children.. And there were also people quite 
grown up who regarded an abolitionist as a kind of 
monster in human form, so one-sided had their edu- 
cation been respecting the views of abolitionists. 

I saw to-day several of the men who, in the early 
part of the war, had" so little patience with Union men 
that they wanted them all killed and their property 



110 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

confiscated for the benefit of the Confederate Govern- 
ment. They were in favor of hanging those who went 
to Kansas and joined the Kansas Jay hawkers, as the 
Kansas soldiers were called. The name Jayhawker 
was first given to an organization of Free State men in 
Southern Kansas who, under the Territorial regime 
made retaliatory incursions into Missouri. The name 
is growing into a nickname for all Kansas people in 
the same sense as " Hoosier " is applied to Indianians. 
But several of the men I saw, who were recently 
thirsting for the blood of the Kansas Jayhawkers, 
when they looked and knew me, cast their eyes towards 
the ground, and their countenances changed. They 
were captured a few weeks ago, having been connected 
with a band of guerrillas wliose operations extended 
over this county. But they have taken the oath of 
allegiance to the United States, and given bonds for 
the faithful performance of their promises. Now that 
they have escaped the edges of our swords and seem 
to show a disposition to submit to the authority of the 
Government, I presume no one feels inclined to dis- 
turb them, or to cast them into any deeper humiliation. 
When the rebel army under General McCulloch first 
came into this section, these men were painstaking in 
pointing out loyal families that they might be plun- 
dered of their property. The war is teaching the in- 
tolerant some grand lessons in toleration, and those of 
one-sided views to study the nature of their oj)ponents' 
arguments. Men v/ho recently could scarcely tolerate 
the existence of a neiglibor who held opinions on cer- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. Ill 

tain subjects different from their own, are now at the 
mercy of this neighbor. And it is certainly commend- 
able of those who were recently in the minority here, 
that they do not display a spirit of revenge. 

It was at this place in November, 1861, while Gen- 
eral Price's array were encamped in the vicinity, that 
Governor Jackson convened the Rnmp Legislature, 
which went through the farce of ratifying the ordin- 
ance of Secession. The event was celebrated by the 
booming of artillery; and great speeches were made 
to the enthusiastic multitude by the principal leaders. 

Their prospects were brighter then than now, and 
they doubtless thought that Missouri would form one 
of the stars in the Constellation of the Confederate 
States. 

The town contained about one thousand inhabitants 
before the war; but the population now is much less, 
probably not more than half that number independent 
of the Indian refugees temporarily stopping here. 
When this section was occupied by the rebel troops, 
nearly all tlie loyal families removed to Springfield and 
Kansas, or to some point within our lines; and since 
we drove the enemy out, and established posts at 
nearly all the towns, many of the rebel families have 
moved south. 

A small garrison here could make no sort of defense 
against an enemy playing upon it with artillery, for 
there are heights all around the town, except narrow 
openings to the southeast and north. The brick Court 
House, however, which stands isolated on the Court 



112 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLK)N 

House Square, will liold between two and three 
hundred men, who might for several days, hold out 
against a superior force not armed with artillery. Our 
troops have had several sharp contests with the enemy 
here. About the 2d of July, 1861, some eighty men 
of General Sigel's Command, under Captain Conrad 
of the Third Missouri infantry, were surrounded in 
the Court House and captured by the rebel army 
under Generals Price and McCulloch, then marching 
up from Camp Walker to join Generals Eains and 
Parsons. And early last spring several companies 
of the Seventh Missouri cavalry were surprised by 
the enemy and defeated with some loss in killed, 
wounded and prisoners. But since the Kansas Divi- 
sion came into this section, we have chased the 
enemy through the town several times, making the 
dust fly. We also killed two or three leaders of local 
rebel organizations, who were much feared by the 
loyal people. 

The Indian soldiers now stationed here, are quar- 
tered in the Court House, and have made a number 
of port holes for their rifles, to be used in the event 
of an attack. Throughout the State the Militia are 
usmg the Court Houses for quarters and for means 
of defense. 

One of the desirable features of this place is the Big 
Spring in the western part of the town. It is one of the 
finest springs in this section, and would aiford a sufli- 
cient quantity of the purest water for a city of consid- 
erable size. It has a fall of about ten feet in less than 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 113 

half a dozen yards, and of course runs out of the 
bluff like a mill tail. When peace shall spread her 
beneficent influences over our entire country again, 
northern enterprise and capital will probably utilize 
this valuable water-power for manufacturing purposes, 
and perhaps also contrive some means of conveying a 
portion of the water to the houses of those who shall 
make this place their home. With a system of pipes 
it could easily be done without very heavy expense. 
Shoal Creek, nearly two miles north of here, is a large 
stream, and discharges a large volume of water the 
year round, and in regard to water-power facilities, 
probably has few equals in the country. At the Grand 
Falls, sixteen miles northwest of Neosho, it pours over 
a perpendicular precipice about eighteen feet high. 
Fine carding and flouring mills at that and a number 
of other points on this stream, have been in operation 
for many years. Fortunately, up to the present, nearly 
all the mills in this section have escaped destruction 
by the contending armies. It is hoped that no neces- 
sity will arise justifying their destruction in any 
locality. 

The country is somewhat broken in this vicinity, and 
the hillsides are covered with a variety of kinds of 
what we call " flints." The prairies are quite fertile, 
but not equal to the creek bottoms, which are scarcely 
equalled in fertility in any country. My father thinks 
that his farm of two hundred and sixty acres, which 
lies four miles north of this place on Shoal Creek, has 
not its equal in the alluvial plain of the Mississippi 
8 



^14: MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

valley in point of productiveness. But since the war 
commenced, the fences have nearly all been destroyed 
by the rebel armies camping upon it, and only a small 
portion of it was cultivated last year by a tenant. 
The first year of the war the Eebels drove away all 
our live stock, and some of our neighbors who sided 
with the enemy, even had a discussion among them- 
selves as to what our farm and timbered lands would 
bring when sold as confiscated property for the benefit 
of the Confederate treasury, as they were determined 
to have them. 

In regard to the destruction of fences, I may say 
that as far as my own observation goes, few of those 
enclosing farms on the public highways have escaped. 
"When we encamped fifteen miles north-east of here 
last autumn, just before the battle of Newtonia in this 
county, we burned thousands of rails for fuel, and if 
we bivouacked on the field at night, we made numerous 
fires along the roadside. It is almost impossible for 
a large army to pass through the country in which it 
is operating without causing more or less injury to 
the property of friend as well as foe. I have noted, 
with feelings of deep regret, that the loyal people of 
this State frequently sustain losses at the hands of 
our troopsbecause they happen to be in bad company; 
that is, because they live in communities where the 
rebel sentiment predominates. Though there were 
few men in this section at the beginning of the war 
who were willing to acknowledge that they were aboli- 
tionists, yet when it came to choosing between the 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 115 

Union and rebellion, nearly half of the people chose 
the Union, and elected to cast their fortunes with it 
A good many of the wealthiest and most prominent 
men in south-west Missouri were strong and pro- 
nounced Unionists from the very beginning, and 
worked tooth and nail for our success, though they 
knew that they took their lives in their hands to do it. 
Colonel Harvey Ritchie, of Newtonia, who was State 
senator at the breaking out of the war, issued a pub- 
lic address to the people of south-west Missouri, urg- 
ing them, in the most eloquent language, to stand firm 
by the Union and not be led into any secession move- 
ment. This address went into the hands of thousands 
of citizens, and no doubt had great influence in keep- 
ing many steadfast for the Union, and in opening the 
eyes of others to the follies and rashness of secession. 
It is therefore painful to hear ofiicers and soldiers 
who know very little about the politics of this State, j 
characterizing all the people alike as rebels, and as 
entitled to the same sympathy. These thoughtless 
ofiicers and men sometimes ask, if anyone ventures 
to speak a word on behalf of the loyal men of this 
section, where are the men ? But if they would 
look around intelligently, they would easily see that 
of all the deserted homes, and homes in which there 
is no one left but women and children, that the men '^ 
are not in every case in the rebel army. Those who 
were with us last fall when we were encamped on Pea 
Kidge battle field, must have seen from the head- 
boards placed over the graves of the Federal soldiers 



116 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

that fell on that field, that Missouri troops suffered 
as severe losses as the troops from Iowa, Illinois and 
Indiana. The principal body of our troops that were 
engaged at the battle of Wilson Creek under Generals 
Lyon and Sigelwere also Missouri troops. The First 
regiment of Missouri artillery alone, lost in that bat- 
tle killed, officers 1 ; enlisted men 6Q ; wounded 
officers 2 ; enlisted men 210 ; missing officers 2 ; 
enlisted men 6, or a total of casualties of 292 men. 
Let those who are blind to these facts, read of the 
great battles of Fort Donelson and Pittsburg Landing, 
and see if Missouri did not sustain her pro rata of 
losses in killed and wounded for the Union cause. 
Probably some of those who are so careless in their 
remarks in regard to all the people of this State being 
rebels, would not like to acknowledge that Missouri, 
after furnishing all the men she has for the rebel 
army, has also furnished more men for the Union 
army than either of the great States, Iowa or Massa- 
chusetts. If this is not the exact truth, it is very near 
it. If we include the troops called out for active ser- 
vice in this State, there is not a reasonable doubt of 
it. This State has sins enough to answer for without 
having to answ^er for any for which she is not justly 
chargeable. And I deeply sympathize with those 
families whose desolated homes lie before them, and 
whose male members lie on some distant field, or are 
even now, this very moment, at the front, nobly 
performing their duties in defense of the old flag and 
the Union. I have a rio^ht to feel touched in this 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 117 

matter, for all the male members of our family, except 
the two little boys, have been away from home nearly 
a year and a half. And until our troops came into 
this section, mother had to endure many hardships in 
providing food and clothing for the children, for rebel 
marauders repeatedly robbed us of the best articles 
of clothing, bed-clothing, etc. I have seen men 
from the loyal States, whose families were doubtless 
resting in perfect security, and enjoying the prop- 
erty and good things with which honest labor has 
rewarded them, who yet appeared blind to the fact 
that a double sacrifice is put upon the Union soldiers 
of this State. 

The soldier in the field from this State is constantly 
tortured with the thought that his wife, mother, 
daughter or sister, is being robbed, insulted or burned 
out of her home, with no one to look to for protection, 
and assistance and advice. No doubt, on the tented 
field, or wherever sweet sleep sits upon his eyelids, he 
is often awakened by horrible dreams of seeing his 
house in flames climbing to the sky, and his wife and 
little children gathered around her near it, with sad 
expressions, wondering what they shall do for food and 
shelter and clothing. The picture is not overdrawn 
and wholly imaginary, as some may suppose who are 
not familiar with what they would perhaps call unim- 
portant incidents of the war in Missouri; but is an 
actuality of no unusual occurrence, whether many of 
the soldiers from this State have such dreams or not. 
In fact it would be difiicult to overdraw a picture 



]lg MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

representing the hardships and privation that many of 
the loyal families of this State have had to endure since 
the war commenced. But under all these extraordin- 
ary trials and difficulties, of desolation and ruin, they 
have remained firm in their devotion and loyalty to the 
Government. Their ears, therefore, should never hear 
unpleasant and reproachful words in wholly unjustifi- 
able connections from those who should be their 
friends. As far as I am personally concerned, I do not 
wish to make even rebel families feel uncomfortable on 
account of the position they have taken in regard to 
the war. But when they become, as we sometimes 
hear, unnecessarily insolent and troublesome, I think 
it might be well to send them south of our lines. 
They should always, however, have fair warning before 
we resort to such severe measures. Tlie greatest 
trouble we have with rebel families is in the country, 
where they harbor bushwhackers. This guerrilla war- 
fare is so detestable to all honorable minded men, that 
those engaged in it cannot justly complain if we adopt 
extreme measures to suppress it. Our losses in this 
State by this mode of warfare, during the past year, 
would probably foot up, if w^e could get correct figures^ 
several hundred soldiers killed, besides perhaps nearly 
as many Union citizens. 

Since we drove the enemy out of ^ewtonia last 
October, the place has been occupied by the State 
Militia. They are throwing up fortifications and pre- 
paring to build a block house there, which when com- 
pleted, ought to enable them to hold the place against 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 119 

a large force of the enemy- A number of rebel n 
citizens who have recently taken the oath of allegiance, l 
have been compelled to furnish teams and labor 
towards constructing these fortifications, of which they 
bitterly complain. But if they desire the protection 
of the Government, they should do something in a 
generous spirit to assist it. 

As the Militia are well mounted and furnished with 
arms and equipments by the general Government, 
they should be able to keep this section free of 
guerrillas. Though the Militia force, which now 
numbers ten or twelve thousand men, are not obliged 
to go out of the State, yet they are kept in active ser- 
vice, and their service is scarcely less arduous than 
that of the Yolunteer Cavalry in the field. The force 
under General Brown that fought General Marmaduke 
at the battle of Springfield, on the 8th instant, as 
already stated, consisted chiefly of State Militia. And 
in the engagement, they stood as firm as veterans 
until the enemy were driven from the field. 

To-day, February 2d, Major Foreman had erected on 
the Court House Square, I^eosho, a high flagstafif, and 
run up our IS'ational Flag, and its folds fioated to the 
breeze for the first time since a detachment of General 
Sigel's men were captured in the Court House here on 
the 3d July, 1861. Expressions from some of the rebel 
families in town show that they regard it scornfully, 
and would, if they dared, trail it in the dust. But as 
we are just beginning to develop our strength, while 
the enemy is unquestionably beginning to show signs 



120 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLtON 

of weakness, we will hardly witharaw oiir troops from 
this section again. Those who do not like the sight 
of our National Flag, should therefore move south, 
and join their friends who carry the Confederate Flag. 
As we have occupied all the towns of any consequence 
in Southwest Missouri, and as we have about ten 
thousand men in the field along the southern border 
of the State, I think that nothing short of annihila- 
tion of this army, or withdrawal of it to co-operate 
with some other army in another section, can endan- 
ger our position here, nor indeed any of our posts 
west of Springfield. 

Yesterday (2d) a party of guerrillas were seen near 
Granby, eight miles northeast of this place. It is sup- 
posed that they were after a quantity of concealed 
lead to make into balls to replenish their cartridge 
boxes. Whether there is any hidden lead there, we 
have no means of knowing at this moment. Granby, 
at the breaking out of the war, contained a population 
of six or seven thousand people, nearly all of whom 
were connected with the mining business, and many 
large smelting furnaces were in operation. It was 
probably one of the richest lead mines in this country. 
The mining operations continued there until about a 
year ago, and of course were of immense importance 
to the enemy in the way of furnishing balls for their 
small arms. But the eyes of the furnaces have been 
blown out, and some of the buildings destroyed, so that 
no one has ventured to invest money in the business 
again. It is thought by experienced miners that most 



ON THE BOEDER~1863. 121 

of this country is rich in galena ore. When, there- 
fore, peace shall have come to the country, mining 
operations will no doubt be resumed in this section, 
and whatever mineral resources it possesses developed. 

Last night (3d) a detachment of ten men, with the 
mail and despatches, arrived here from the J'irst 
Division, Army of the Frordier, now encamped in the 
vicinity of Springfield. Several of the men belonged 
to that part of my regiment which left us at Elm 
Springs, and they informed me that they had just 
heard from Fayetteville, Arkansas, before leaving 
camp, that my brother James died in hospital there 
on the 26th or 2Tth of January. As the information 
came through reliable parties, men whom I have known 
since the regiment was organized, I at once conveyed 
the sad intelligence to his wife and to father and 
mother. We were all greatly distressed, and that 
which increased the burden of our grief was the 
thought that he should have died from home in hos- 
pital, with none of us near him; nor perhaps even of 
any of the comrades of his own regiment. Father 
and mother, just before I came here on this few days' 
leave, had it under consideration to go after him to 
bring him home, but were told that it would be diffi- 
cult, if not impossible, to get permission to remove 
him. Such a task, anyway, in midwinter, would have 
been attended with much suffering and danger to the 
patient. 

He has breathed out his noble life, very dear to us 
all, that coming generations may enjoy the blessings 



122 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

which we hope his sufferings and death will help to 
secure. Just one year and six months before he died, 
I came from Kansas, traveling at night and on by-roads, 
and passing hard by the enemy's guards, and guided 
him and father back there. I little thought then that 
I should be called upon so soon to mourn his death. 
Yet when we enlisted into the army I knew that we 
should have to take the risk of being stricken down 
by the enemy's bullets the same as other soldiers in 
time of war. Enlisting into the volunteer force of a 
State whose people have just cause for not feeling very 
friendly towards the people of this State in general, we 
had no influential friends to look to for any favors, even 
if we had desired them. Offering our services to the 
Government in a land of strangers, easy, honorable and 
lucrative positions, or positions comparatively free from 
dangers and hardships of the war, did not seek us. We 
were in earnest for the Government, and waited for no 
special inducements to enlist. Had he been of a dis- 
position to want to shirk the duties of a true soldier, 
he could easily enough have gone to the hospital 
immediately after having received the fatal w^ound in 
the shoulder at the battle of Coon Creek, on the 22d 
of last August. Though he knew that the ball had 
not been found by the surgeons who made a partial 
diagnosis of the wound, and knowing too that the ball, 
wherever it had lodged, had had the effect of produc- 
ing at different times, queer sensations of dizziness and 
numbness of certain muscles, yet with all these serious 
premonitions of his approaching end, he preferred to 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 125 

remain with his company as long as he could stand 
upon his feet. He fell paralyzed at the battle of Cane 
Hill, at a place where his company was required to 
dismount and scale the mountain on foot, in order to 
dislodge the enemy from a certain position. I am 
perfectly conscious that if these iew simple words- 
referred to the sufferings and death of some general 
officer instead of a private soldier, they would be read 
by many with greater eagerness, and touch deeper their 
sympathetic emotions. But he was my brother, and I 
would be recreant to my conscience, were I not, in 
passing, to mention that noble devotion to duty which 
hastened his death. And in speaking of him 1 speak 
of thousands of other noble men who have recently 
laid down their lives in defense of their country. 

Only a few days ago, referring to the dangers and 
hardships of the war, and the intense anxiety she felt 
for us when in the field, mother said that she looked 
forward to the time when the war would be over with 
the profoundest interest, so that she might have all 
her sons home to sit down togethei with her at the 
same table. But alas! her picture of a united family 
after the war, in whatever manner it may terminate, 
can now never be realized 

Why should I refer to these expressions of grief 
in our home? Thousands of mothers over this land 
are this day mourning for their husbands and sons 
who will never return home from the war, Nor do 
we see the end of these sacrifices yet, of the noblest 
and best of our country. And there are doubtlesft 



124 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

hundreds of families from whom more than one eon 
has been sacrificed in the cause of the Union. We 
have only a faint realization of the horrors of war un- 
til some calamity like this comes to our own doors and 
invades our family. 



CHAPTEE YI. 

The Author's return to his division at Scott's Mills— Colonel Phil- 
lips' popularity with his troops— Rebels returning and taking 
the oath of allegiance — Indians make good troops to fight 
bushwhackers — Increase of wild game since the war — A de- 
tachment of Federal troops worsted in a skirmish with guer- 
rillas—Captain Conkey loses eleven men by capture— Guer- 
rilla chieftains commissioned by the Rebel authorities — Com- 
ments on plans proposed by some to break up the guerrilla 
warfare — Sickness and heavy mortality among the Indian 
Refugees at Neosho — Sick and wounded being removed from 
Fayetteville to Fort Scott — The classes of the enemy the Fed- 
erals have to deal with — Bushwhackers — Guerrillas — Detach- 
ments returning to and leaving the State — The regular forces 
in our front — Illustrations — Incidents from the Expedition to 
Low Jack — The battle of Coon Creek — Concluding remarks 
on the Indians. 

The 12th of February I joined the Indian division 
at Scott^s Mills, McDonald County, Missouri, on the 
Cowskin river, twenty-two miles south west of Neosho, 
and about the same distance north of our old camp 
at Maysville. The bottom lands along the stream are 
excellent, and there are numerous fine farms, on most 
of which fine crops were raised last year. The move- 
ment of the division to this place is not regarded as 
retrograde or falling back, but simply for the purpose 



126 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

of more easily supplying our animals with forage and 
provisioning the refugee families with us. The mills 
here are in very good condition, and daily turn out 
large quantities of meal and llonr, which will do much 
to relieve the demands of hunger among the refugees. 
Since we left Elm Springs as a separate command, 
Colonel Phillips has steadily grown in popularity with 
his troops, and we now believe him to be an able and 
judicious commander. At the end of a month he has 
made no mistake, but on the contrary has managed 
the affairs of his District in a manner deserving the 
warmest commendation. 

The active operations of this command, and of the 
troops at Neosho under Major John A. Foreman, 
against the guerrillas in this section, are beginning to 
have a wholesome effect. Scarcely a day passes that 
a squad of rebels do not come in and take the oath of 
allegiance and ask the protection of the Government. 
Those who come in generally express the opinion that 
many more would come if they knew that they would 
be protected and allowed to live at home instead of 
being sent north at prisoners. They are mostly re- 
garded with mistrust, for it has sometimes turned out 
that those whom we received and treated kindly, soon 
became dissatisfied with the situation, and went south 
again and joined the guerrillas. Until we came here, 
bushwhackers were as plenty as wild game up and 
down this river, but during the last two weeks, quite 
a number have been killed by our troops. They will 
hardly be able to find a safe retreat anywhere in the 



ON THE B0RDER.-lS(i3. 127 

vicinity of this command. An Indian seems to me to 
almost scent a secret foe. I think this trait or char- 
acteristic may be to some extent accounted for by many 
of them following tlieir natural mode of life — that is 
of hunting in the woods for game for miles around the 
camp. 

It is well known to every one in the least familiar 
with this section during antebellum times, that the 
game in this region, such as deer and wild turkeys, 
have increased in great numbers the past two years. 
Many hogs have become wild in the river bottoms 
and flee from the sight of man like a deer. When the 
houses have been burned and the fences around the 
farms destroyed, as we find here and there, animals 
like hogs, that live without constant attention from 
man, soon run wild. The game that the Indians have 
killed this winter would probably, if we could estimate 
it, form quite an item in the way of maintaining their 
families. 

It occasionally happens that, in a contest with the 
guerillas in this section, small detachments of our 
troops get worsted. On the first instant, a detach- 
ment from the command at Neosho had a skirmish 
with a company of guerillas on Burkhart prairie, 
twelve miles north-west of that post, and had two 
men badly wounded, without inflicting any loss on 
the enemy as far as is known. The commanding 
officer of the post, Major Foreman, immediately sent 
out a larger force, about a hundred men, to the vicinity 
where the skirmish took place, but it returned to its 



J 28 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

station after having captured one wagon loaded with 
plunder, and having chased the enemy several miles 
through the woods. 

Captain Theo. Conkej, of the Third Wisconsin cav- 
alry, who has recently been operating along the Spring 
River, in Jasper County, against the guerillas, had a 
lively contest a few days ago with Livingston's band, 
and in the affair, had half a dozen of his men captur- 
ed. The loss sustained by the enemy, if any, I have 
been unable to ascertain, as Captain Conkey receives 
his orders from the commanding officer at Fort Scott. 
Livingston, we understand, is commissioned by and 
acting under regular orders from the rebel authorities, 
and is not accused of killing his prisoners like Quau- 
trell, whose operations are confined chiefly to Jackson 
and Cass counties, and with whom we had a number 
of skirmishes last May. But Livingston attacks our 
supply trains, and his numerous predatory actions 
about unprotected points have given him considerable 
prominence during the last year. Whenever our troops 
come upon him with equal, or perhaps, somewhat 
superior numbers, he never stands, but soon scatters his 
men in small squads, permitting them sometimes to 
return to their homes tor a few days. But between 
Neosho and Fort Scott, a distance of eighty miles, 
there is no point, except a camp on Dry Wood, four- 
teen miles south of Fort Scott, where we have any 
troops stationed. This large space of unoccupied 
country gives a wide field of operations for such an 
organization as Livingston's. And until we can estab- 



ON THE EOKDER-1803. 129 

lisli more numerous stations along the western border 
tier of counties in tins State, it will probably be difficult, 
iff not impossible, to entirely break up such guerilla 
bands and also bushwhacking. To accomplish this 
object, there are some who favor applying the torch 
indiscriminately, to the houses of Union people and 
rebels. I can never conscientiously favor such a 
scheme ; nor do I believe that the evil requires such 
heroic treatment at our hands. I have seen the stand- 
ing chimneys and smoking ruins of desolated homes 
of Union people as well as rebels too often to wish to 
see such scenes renewed in a wholesale manner. JSTor 
do I believe that such acts on our part would remedy 
the evil which we wish to extirpate. It seems to me 
that the enemy could occupy the desolate country all 
the same, and make his incursions into Kansas and 
into the counties of Missouri still further to the 
east. Though my age and position would not, to the 
minds of many, justify my presuming to criticise the 
actions of those whose maturer years have given 
them more varied experiences, and in many things a 
sounder judgment, yet I venture to think that 
our officers have too often permitted the indiscrimin- 
ate destruction of private property, which should not 
have been destroyed, thus causing a needless amount 
of suffering among those whom we should endeavor 
to protect in the possession of their lives and pro- 
perty. I am perfectly willing, however, to do such 
officers the justice to believe that they seldom or never 
permit such acts, after thinking over the consequen- 
9 



130 MEMOIBS OF THE REBELLION 

ces, with such deliberation as I may be able to do 
when setting down to write on the subject. An officer 
marching through the country at the head of his 
squadron or regiment, without the thought of an 
enemy being near, is suddenly fired upon at a certain 
place by a party of guerrillas, and gets one or more 
of his men killed or wounded. His first thought is 
likely to be, that the family living on the place have 
been giving the enemy aid and comfort. This may 
be true or may not. But the chances are that the 
house will be burned, without making a thorough in- 
vestigation to ascertain whether those occupying it 
were in sympathy with, or knew anything about the 
presence of, the enemy. 

Then there are people whose sympathies are divided 
concerning the issues involved in the war; I mean by 
this that, taking a large number of citizens such as we 
have to deal with, their loyalty would perhaps range 
from slight to complete without qualification. Some 
again, though they sympathize with the Government, 
and really wish its success, yet having relatives and 
friends in the rebel army who are very dear 
to them, have not the courage to utter their convictions 
in a strong and positive manner. The question arises, 
should the slightly loyal receive the punishment or be 
treated the same as the disloyal who are tooth and 
nail against us? It will thus be seen that an appar- 
ently very simple question, becomes quite involved, 
when looked at closely. It is therefore useless to sup- 
pose that the sturdy soldier will enter into all these 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 131 

hair splitting niceties before giving his orders. He 
looks at things just as they present themselves to him, 
and if injustice is done, it may be, that after reflection, 
no one would regret it more keenly than himself. 
Taking this view of the matter, relieves in a measure 
our officers of the charge of permitting unnecessary 
destruction of private property. In all those extraor- 
dinary cases where private property has been destroyed 
by our troops, that clearly should not have been des- 
troyed, the Government should, and probably will, in 
time, pay for, provided of course, that the parties to 
whom it belongs are loyal to the United States. I 
would not destroy even the property of rebel citizens 
except in cases of military necessity; and then it is not 
supposable that any demand will ever be made upon 
the Government for payment. But let us pass from 
this question which, in a few years, will doubtless 
engage the attention of legislators. 

Parties coming from Neosho report that there is a 
great deal of sickness among the Indian soldiers and 
their families at that place. Taking into account the 
number of Indians there, and the number sick, the 
mortality amongst them is considered very high. The 
prevailing type of disease which is now taking off so 
many of them, I understand is typhoid fever. The 
hardships incident to leaving their homes in the 
Nation, and innutritions food and insufficient quanti- 
ties of food, together with the poorly clad condition of 
many, are probably among the causes of this high 
mortality in some of the families. But of course the 



132 MEMOIRS OF THE EEBELllON 

remark in regard to food and clothing cannot apply to 
the Indian soldiers, for they are as well fed and 
clothed as we are, that is, they have had their regular 
allowances during the winter. But the families and 
each member thereof have not perhaps had full rations 
during the winter. Though great care and interest 
have been manifested by Colonel Phillips in looking 
after them, yet it has been impossible to make them as 
comfortable as at their homes. The want of proper 
sheltering has also probably in many cases contributed 
to their discomforts and sickness. Home sickness, 
from being exiles, also doubtless has a depressing in- 
fluence amongst some of them. 

Such of the sick and wounded at Fayetteville and 
in the field hospitals of this division as will bear 
removing, are being taken to Fort Scott. The General 
Hospital at that place is better provided with every- 
thing essential to their proper care and treatment. 
The great difficulty is to get them there without increas- 
ing too much their suffering. But men convalescing from 
the effects of wounds, and placed in ambulances, and 
the ambulances driven carefully, should be taken the 
distance from Fayetteville to Fort Scott, say one 
hundred and fifty miles, without great inconvenience, 
except while en route they should be struck with 
a change of extremely cold weather, or a storm of 
sleet or snow. Even then, the heavy woolen blankets 
with which every soldier is ])rovided, would enable 
them to get through without much suffering. Should 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 133 

the present fine weather continue a few days longer, 
they will have reached their destination in good con- 
dition. 

Yesterday (15th), Colonel Phillips sent a sqnad of 
ten rebel prisoners that we recently captured, to Neo- 
sho, Missouri, to be held nntil there is an opportunity 
of sending them to Fort Scott or Leavenworth. 

"We have four classes of the enemy to deal with in 
this section. 

Firsts the bushwhackers, who are unorganized and 
generally found singly, but, as sometimes happens, in 
squads of two to half a dozen. They are generally 
men who stay around in the vicinity of their homes, 
and fire npon our troops from bluffs or other inacces- 
sible points, or when they see one of our soldiers 
alone on dispatch or courier duty shoot him off his 
horse with their rifles, and despoil him of his arms, 
clothing, money and equipments. Since we came 
into this region last autumn, we have had quite a 
number of men who were either with the advance or 
rear guard, or on escort duty to trains, killed and 
wounded by bushwhackers. Though of course bush- 
whackers are all rebels, yet I think that most of them 
are men of bad blood, men whose natural inclinations 
and evil tendencies lead them to follow a robber life. 
They only take advantage of the existing chaotic state 
of things to show their true characters. Should the 
war immediately cease, probably only a small percent- 
age of such desperate characters would return to or adopt 



134 MEMOmS OF THE REBELLION 

an honest mode of life. But putting themselves outside 
the pale of civilized warfare, they will likely nearly all 
be killed oif in a few years. I may be judging them 
too harshly, but in the light of such facts as have 
come under my notice, I don't think so. 

Second, guerrilla bands, men having some sort of 
military organization, and whose movements are direct- 
ed by a leader. Most of the leaders of the guerrillas with 
whom we have to contend, I have frequently heard, 
hold commissions from the Confederate government, 
or the fugitive Governor of Missouri. Livingston 
whom I have already referred to, may be cited as an 
instance. The function of guerrillas is similar to that 
of privateers. While the privateer is commissione d 
by the rebel authorities to prey upon our marine com- 
merce, the guerrillas are commissioned to prey upon 
our inland commerce, destroy public property, such as 
trains, &c., and to impede our movements in every 
possible manner. Though as I have mentioned, Liv- 
ingston is not accused of murdering his prisoners in 
cold blood, yet our soldiers feel, and I think justly so, 
that their lives would be very insecure in the hands of 
most guerrilla leaders, like Quantrill for example. 
We have to be always on the lookout for guerrillas, 
and our trains are obliged to be always well guarded, 
for if the enemy capture a courier with dispatches, or 
a soldier from a scouting party, they may get informa- 
tion that will enable them to concentrate at a given 
point and attack our escort and trains from an ambush. 
This mode of warfare often enables a small force to 



OI^ THE BORDER— IfcCi. 135 

defeat a superior force encumbered with trains. In 
fact the concealed enemy has a great advantage when 
he attacks about an equal number of our troops. An 
enemy of a hundred men concealed in a favorable 
position, might kill and wound half a company of 
soldiers the first volley. The rest, if not thrown into 
confusion by such a sudden burst of destruction, 
would in such case be unable to cope with the enemy 
flushed by his success. To guard against such disas- 
ters a military commander must be always wide awake 
and on the alert, and he must know the strength of the 
enemy in his rear as well as in his front. We now 
believe that the enemy, in whatever manner he may 
choose to operate against us, will have to be exceed- 
ingly industrious and wide awake to gain a point on 
Colonel Phillips. His movements on the military 
chessboard show that he is not likely to be checkmated 
or broken up by an opponent handling an equal num- 
ber of men. 

Thirds rebels returning to their homes in that 
section of the State from which they entered the rebel 
army; or rebels leaving the vicinity of their homes in 
detachments to join the rebel army, or to remain south 
during the progress of the war. Whether leaving the 
State in detachments, or returning to it in detachments, 
they rarely show an inclination to assume the offensive, 
seeming to prefer to pass through the country unob- 
served. But those leaving the State, when they find 
that there is a fair prospect of capturing property that 
can be taken along without impeding their movements, 



136 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

are not so careful to avoid contact with oiir troops. 
Even if their attacks be unsuccessful, and they 
completely fail in any given design, they can continue 
their inarch southward without increasing the danger 
of being intercepted and captured. Only a few weeks 
ago, at Neosho, our pickets w^ere tired into one night, 
as was supposed, by quite a force of the enemy going 
south, but as they found that we were not to be sur- 
prised, decided to make no further demonstration. 

The enemy returning to the State may have either 
of two objects in view. He may be intending to fol- 
low a guerrilla warfare, or he may be intending to 
concentrate at some point designated, to make a com- 
bined movement against some place occupied by a 
given number of our troops. A combined movement 
of this kind he made against Lone Jack in Jackson 
county, Missouri, on the 15th and 16th of last August, 
resulting in the defeat of our troops with a heavy loss 
in killed and wounded, and the capture of a section 
of the Third Indiana Battery."^ "We marched day and 

* The following casualties at the battle of l^one Jack on the 
Federal side, I have gathered from official data : Second battal- 
ion Missouri State Militia, killed, enlisted men, 4; wounded, 
officers, 1 ; enlisted men, 5 ; missing, officers, 1 ; enlisted men, 5. 
Sixth Missouri State Militia, killed, enlisted men, 9 ; wounded, 
officers, 5 ; enlisted men, 35 ; missing, enlisted men, 17. Seventh 
Missouri Volunteer cavalry, killed, officers, 2 ; enlisted men, 19 ; 
wounded, officers, 3 ; enlisted men, 62 ; missing, enlisted men, 11. 
Two Companies Seventh Missouri State Militia cavalry, killed, 
enlisted men, 6 ; wounded, officers, 1 ; enlisted men, 14 ; missing, 
enlisted men, 6. Eighth Missouri State Militia cavalry, killed, 
enlisted men, 9 ; wounded, officers, 2 : enlisted men, 28 ; missing, 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 137 

enlisted men, 4. Third Indiana battery, killed, enlisted men, 5 ; 
Total killed, ofiicers, 2 ; enlisted men, 51 ; wounded, officers, 13 ; 
enlisted men, 144, exclusive of the Third Indiana battery ; mis- 
sing, officers, 1 ; enlisted men, 43. 

Major Emory S. Foster, Seventh Missouri cavalry, who com- 
manded our troops in the engagement, reports that he had about 
800 men, and that one-third of this force were killed, wounded 
a»nd missing. This was one of the most gallant fights of the 
war, for a small force. The enemy had 2,500 men. 

night from Fort Scott to Lone Jack, to reinforce our 
troops, but when we arrived on the ground we were 
mortified to learn that the battle had been fought the 
day before. The enemy under Generals Shelby and 
Cockrell were still encamped on the field ; but when 
we came in sight, instead of giving battle, as we an- 
ticipated they would after their recent victory, they 
retreated. It v/as about six o'clock when we came up, 
and General Blunt immediately commenced to form 
his troops in line of battle, as the enemy seemed to be 
making some kind of hostile movements. I was with 
Colonel Jewell and General Blunt, and some of his 
staff were near us. We expected every moment that 
the enemy were going to open fire upon us, for we 
could plainly see him coming down the road towards 
us about half a mile off. We could also see, that 
when they came to a certain point they seemed to file 
to their left, which was our right, as we had formed in 
line. We supposed that they were aiming to turn 
our right, and General Blunt threw out skirmishers 
to discover their intentions. Our infantry, consisting 
of the Ninth and Twelfth regiments from Wisconsin, 



138 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

wnicli had been put into lour-mule Government 
wagons at Fort Scott, had just arrived, but it was 
now getting dark, and an approaching storm, together 
with our ignorance of the topographical condition of 
that section, made it impossible to commence an im- 
mediate attack. The rain came down in torrents, and 
it was soon intensely dark. We quickly discovered, 
however, that the road half a mile beyond the head of 
our column diverged, coming toward us, and that the 
enemy, instead of preparing to make the attack, had 
taken the left-hand road at the point of divergence, 
and were in full retreat. We moved about cautiously 
in the darkness of the night, for the country w^as bad- 
ly cut up by ditches or wash-outs, and quite a number 
of our ambulances, caissons and artillery wagons got 
partially or completely upset, and into j^ositions from 
which it required much labor to extricate them. The 
trail of the enemy was discovered during the night, 
and when the dim light of morning came, our ad- 
vance was just in sight of the rebel rear guard. But 
neither the enemy nor our forces had marched many 
miles during the dark rainy night, for we were forming 
our squadrons here and there, expecting every moment 
to run into the rebel cavalry. The entire force of the 
enemy, numbering fully twenty five hundred men, 
had moved around us during the night, and now com- 
menced a hasty retreat towards the southern part of 
the State. We pursued them day and night, giving 
only a few hours each day to ourselves and to our ani- 
mals to take food and rest, and struck them with our 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 139 

cavalry about one hundred miles south of Lone Jack 
at Coon Creek, in which engagement twenty-six men 
were killed and wounded in the company to which 
my brother belonged, and, as I have already stated, he 
was among the wounded. Captain H. S. Green of 
the Sixth Kansas cavalry was among the severely 
wounded while gallantly leading his men. We could 
not hold the rebel force until the rest of our cavalry, 
artillery and infantry came up, and this affair ^r^racti- 
cally ended the expedition, though a portion of the 
cavalry continued the pursuit almost to the southern 
line of the State, 

I have entered somewhat into details because we did 
some extraordinary marching, and also because I wish- 
ed to point out how an enemy passing us in small de- 
tachments, may form in our rear a formidable army. 

The Fourth class of the enemy we have to deal 
with, is his organized or regular forces which we ex- 
pect to find in our front. Whether we shall seek him 
or he shall us, it may take the approach of spring, or 
even summer to decide. In the meantime we shall 
endeavor to hold our own ground in this section, keep 
our animals in as good condition as possible, and not 
permit our arms to rust. 

We have very favorable reports from Captain A. C. 
Spillman of this division, who has been in command 
of the post at Neosho since Major Foreman left there. 
Captain Spillman is showing himself to be a very 
competent and energetic young officer. His scouting 
parties are active in hunting down bushwhackers^ and 



140 M..MOIES OF THE "REBELLION 

in makint^-tliat section an unsafe and an uncomfort- 
able retreat for them. Colonel Phillips has not only 
shown sound judgment in the general management of 
his division, but also in the selection of officers for 
his staff as coniidential advisers, and also other offi- 
cers of special fitness for special duties. Probably few 
officers could be found who would make a better As- 
sistant Adjutant General than Captain William Gal- 
laher, or a better Judge Advocate than Captain Joel 
Moody. Of Captain Gallaher I can speak from per- 
sonal knowledge, as I have known him since I entered 
the service. 

Colonel William F. Cloud, Second Kansas cavalry, 
who is now in command of the District of South- 
west Missouri, with head quarters at Springfield, was 
at ISTeosha yesterday, 20th instant, with a detachment 
of the 7th Missouri State Militia and one company 
of his own regiment, having been on a scout of several 
days in search of Livingston's band. If the remain- 
der ot General Blunt's division, which separated from 
us at Ehn Springs, is occupying the country around 
Springfield, it would seem Colonel Phillips' division 
is now occupying the most advanced position of any 
of our troops in the west. It would also seem that he 
is holding a more important position, and actually 
doing more service than any two brigadier-generals 
in General Schofield's department. We have here a 
few illustrations of the manner in w^hich meritorious 
millitary service is too often regarded. It is thought 
by some that General Schofield would prefer to re- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 141 

ward with promotion an incapable volunteer officer 
than a really deserving one. I have heard the remark, 
that "if he could have a division of troops and re- 
view them once a week on a level plain in fair weather, 
perhaps there are few officers who could shine equally 
with him, but that as an active field officer, who 
will acomplish deeds such as to win admiration even 
from the foe, recent experiences show him to be al- 
most a complete failure." It maybe, however, that in 
the light of just and intelligent criticism, his merit 
would shine with a brighter lustre than it does with us. 
In some other field, if he goes to the front, it may not 
be difficult to inspire his troops with confidence. But 
there are many who think that for tlie good of the 
cause for which we are fighting, he should be removed 
from this department. 

The Cherokee Council, which has been in session 
several weeks, adjourned on the 22nd, shie die. Most 
of the prominent men of the Nation were present, and 
made speeches in regard to the passage of certain laws 
touching the interests of the Cherokee people. One 
of the most important measures which they have had 
under discussion, has for its object the abolition of 
slavery in the Cherokee Nation at an early day. 
While slavery has for some generations existed in the 
Cherokee Nation, it has never existed in that form 
which characterized the institution in the Southern 
States. The Indians have been with us now upwards 
of six months, and, from what we have seen, it is 
doubtless true that slavery of the negroes amongst. 



142 MEMOIRS OF THE EEBELLION 

them has been only m name. They never act towards 
the Indians with that reserve and sign of respect 
noticeable when they come into our presence. I am 
satisfied that the hardships of slavery amongst the 
Indians were never comparable to the hardships of 
slavery in the cotton-raising States. It would perhaps 
be difficult to impress any negro with the idea that 
there is as great a distance between him and an Indian 
as there is between him and a white man. In some 
respects I think myself that there is very little difter- 
ence, particularly in matters involving social status. 
The possibilities of a negro here are probably very 
nearly, if not quite, equal to the possibilities of the 
Indian, as far as intellectual force is concerned. And 
from my own observations I believe that they are, as a 
race, more able to stand contact with what we call 
high civilization, than the Indians. When I traveled 
over several of the cotton-raising States, a year before 
the war commenced, from a good many inquiries which 
I made, I became convinced that the degrading, and in 
many instances even hard life of slavery, had not per- 
ceptibly diminished the reproductive powers of the 
negroes. Careful inquiries might, however, show, in 
certain sections, where both sexes have been worked 
very hard on the plantations, that their reproductive 
powers have perceptibly diminished. Though it has 
been but a few centuries since they were brought to 
this Continent, yet when we contrast their peculiar 
traits of character with those of the Indian, we are 
sure to be led to the conclusion that they will exist as 



ON THE BORDEE.-1863. 14:3 

a distinct race among us, after the Indian shall have 
disappeared, and shall only be referred to in history 
as an extinct race. It will probably not be many gen- 
erations before we shall be contriving means, not how 
to kill off the Indians, but how to preserve the few 
which are left. Even should the fifteen to twenty 
thousand Cherokees amalgamate with the whites, it is 
not likely that, in the course of a dozen generations, 
there would be more than a slight trace of Indian blood 
in their descendants. Amalgamation has already 
taken place rather extensively, as our Indians here 
plainly show. Indeed, the half-breeds and quarter- 
bloods form a considerable part of the population of 
the Nation. But they are, I have been informed, 
mostly the offspring of polygamous marriages and 
unions, such as would not be sanctioned amongst us. 
We know very well that since this country was first 
settled by Europeans, traders and adventurers have 
lived amongst the Indians, and it seems that, by form- 
ing temporary unions, and sometimes lasting ones, 
with the native women, they gain certain rights and 
privileges that are not accorded to those who will 
not enter into such alliances. Many of the Cherokee 
women have very good features, and white men who 
desire to get wived may perhaps, often be congratu- 
lated upon their choice. We therefore frequently see 
amongst these "half-breeds," "quarter-bloods," &c., 
men of much intelligence and force of character. It 
is not unusual, however, for them to display the adven- 
turous spirit of their white fathers, and the fierceness 



I4i MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

of their native mothers. But these people are capable 
of making great advances in civilization, before their 
veins shall have been drained of the last drop of In- 
dian blood. 



CHAPTER YII. 

The Indian Division moves to Pineville, Mo — Remarks on the 
physical aspect of the country and its resources — Few dep- 
redations committed considering the general character and 
condition of the refugee camp-followers — The President's 
Emancipation Proclamation — A good many officers and 
soldiers opposed to it — It is a military necessity — It is just 
and is warmlj^ commended — The Grovernment will soon have 
colored troops in the field — Colonel Phillips' brother wounded 
— Colonel Judson's brigade at Mount Vernon — The Indian 
division marches to Bentonville, Arkansas— Description of 
the countrj^ — Rebel prisoners sent to Springfield— They were 
brought in by loyal Arkansas troops — A meteor of great 
brightnsss observed— Reflections on sidereal worlds and 
meteoric displays — The Indian Delegation go to Washington. 

The Indian division struck tents at Scott's Mills and 
marched leisurely up the Cowskin river about twenty 
miles, and encamped near Pineville, the county seat 
of McDonald county, on the 21st of February. We 
were several days marching this distance, because, as I 
suppose. Colonel Phillips wishes to move at his leisure 
to those localities where our animals can be most easily 
foraged until spring shall have advanced far enough to 
justify a forward movement. As we are to go from 
here to Bentonville, Benton county, Arkansas, in a few 
days, we are now doubtless taking the first steiDS 
10 



y 



146 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

towards entering upon the spring campaign. Our 
soldiers seem delighted that we are to turn our faces 
to the South, and that we are to re-occupy the section 
from which we were withdrawn the first of the year. 
This is not much of an agricultural region, as there 
is not much soil fit for cultivation, except along the 
river bottoms. The Cowskin or Elk river, which flows 
in a westerly course, nearly through the centre of the 
county, is not perceptibly smaller here than at Scott's 
Mills. It differs from our Kansas rivers in this respect, 
that it discharges a large volume of water the year round, 
while they almost dry up during the summer months 
of dry seasons. With some attention given to its 
improvement for navigation, light draft steamers 
might run on it between this point and Grand River 
several months of the year. It flows over a gravelly 
bottom, and is as clear as a crystal, being fed by per- 
petual springs. Water-power mills have been con- 
structed upon it wherever required. In this vicinity, 
and for ten or fifteen miles above here, a number 
of saw mills were in operation before the war, making 
lumber. This is the only county in southwest Missouri 
in which there are any pine forests. Hence, therefore, 
all the pine lumber used for building and other pur- 
poses, in the counties north and east of this, for a 
distance of sixty to seventy-five miles, was furnished 
by this section. It is quite different from the white 
pine shipped from the north, and used in the towns 
along the Missouri river and in Kansas. It is known 
as yellow pine, and is very heavy, containing large 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 147 

quantities of resm or pitch. A piece of it lighted 
will burn like a torch, to snch an extent is it saturated 
with the oil of turpentine. Before the war there was 
also manufactured in this region considerable tar or 
pitch, obtained from this jellow pine. It was used 
altogether by the people of south west Missouri and 
Arkansas in lubricating the wooden axles of their old- 
fashioned wagons. The people of this section do not 
use for lubricating purposes, oil, tallow or axle grease, 
as we do on our wagons. Perhaps tar would not be 
as suitable for iron axles, such as are used in the army 
wagon. 

From all that I have seen of this county, I think it 
is too poor to ever attract to it a very large number 
of immigrants. It is possible, however, bat not 
probable, that these rocky hills contain hidden treas- 
ures of immense value, of which we know nothing at 
present. I can see how it is possible to utilize the 
hilly and poor upland regions to some extent. They 
are mostly covered with line timber, and in the spring, 
summer and autumn months, with a fine growth of 
wild grass. When all the land which is fit to culti- 
vate along the streams is taken up, large flocks of sheep 
and goats and herds of cattle can be pastured during 
half the year, at little expense, on the hills and 
uplands. But before people can be induced to come 
here and adopt such rigid economy, the fertile plains 
of Kansas and the richer portions of this State, will 
be densely populated. 

In some sections of the country now, the destruction 



148 MEMOIKS OF THE REBELLION 

of forests, in getting timber for various economical 
purposes, is more rapid than their groAvth. Their 
destruction must become even more marked, as the 
population of the country increases and its resources 
are steadily developed. The time is therefore coming 
when the forests on these hills will be quite an item 
of commerce to this section, and a source of profit to 
the owners. 

Out of the great number of line springs in this sec- 
tion, whose clear cold water is a luxury, particularly 
during the summer months, it is possible that some 
of them may possess medicinal properties, which will 
make them places of public resort, and temporary 
abodes for invalids from all parts of the world. 

As no large body of our troops have been in this 
vicinity since last autumn, and as we have no troops 
stationed in this county at all, a good many rebels 
have returned from the southern ai-my and from Texas 
and southern Arkansas, and have been living at their 
homes nearly all winter. Since we came here, some 
of them have come into our lines and taken the oath 
of allegiance to the Government, and others have either 
gone South, or remain in the country endeavoring to 
avoid capture by our troops. Only a few weeks ago a 
party of a dozen or so rebels in this vicinity, sent a 
message to the commanding officer at Neosho that 
they were willing to come in and surrender and take the 
oath, but when a detachment of our troops came down 
here to receive them, they were not found. It is re- 
ported that they had som.e fears of our Indian soldiers, 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 149 

and went to Mount \^ernon to give themselves up to 
the proper authorities. From all that I can hear, I 
have no doubt but that Colonel Phillips' firmness, tem- 
pered with moderation, has had much to do in induc- 
ing those who have recently been in arms against the 
Government, yet who have realized their mistake and 
feel somwhat friendly inclined tov/ards us, to come in 
and renew their allegiance to the old fiag. Though 
he has had a mixed command of Indians and white 
men, which probably few officers w^ould be able to 
manage creditably, yet he has kept his soldiers under 
perfect control, so perfect, indeed, that we nowhere 
hear of houses burned, or the useless destruction of 
property. This is almost remarkable considering the 
great number of refugees and camp-followers of every 
condition and color and phase of moral character he 
has to keep his eyes upon. While we were encamped 
at Maysville some colored male refugees who were 
caught committing some unauthorized depredations in 
the country, were punished by each being compelled 
to carry a log of wood, weighing perhaps thirty to forty 
pounds, several hours each day for two or three days. 
The punishment of those men has had a wholesome 
effect in preventing the reckless and indiscriminate 
plundering that would surely have followed, had not 
our commander been thus prompt in setting his seal of 
condemnation upon it. JSTo one can tell to what 
length a mass of unorganized and ignorant men would 
go, were not some restraint put upon their actions. It 
is safe to say, however, that the lives and property of 



150 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

no class in the vicinity would be safe, and for myself 
I should not be surprised to hear of them cutting their 
own throats, were they permitted to follow their own 
unbridled passions. Colonel Phillips has no doubt 
carefully considered and foreseen the result which 
would naturally flow from allowing refugees, camp- 
followers, or even his own troops, to commit depreda- 
tions on their own account. When he sends out his 
forage trains, he sends them under officers who act un- 
der specific instructions. Should the officer in charge 
of a train go outside of his instructions, and take any 
property or permit it to be taken by the men under 
him, with the view of applying it to private use, and 
complaint be made to headquarters. Colonel Phillips 
would have him immediatly Court-martialed, and if 
found guilty of the charges preferred against him, he 
would be dismissed the service. But while he is 
prompt in repressing acts tliat would tend to reflect 
upon our arms, he is not accused of acting, in any case, 
hastly and without sufficient cause. I am sure that it 
cannot be said years hence, when the war is over, that 
Colonel Phillips, with perfect indifference, permitted 
the Federal troops under him to rob the women of 
this section of their jewelry and other trinkets. But 
should the spirit of justice and moderation that have 
guided his action, since he assumed command of this 
division, continue to guide his future movements, and 
should he be spared a full measure of years, and return 
to this section, the people will doubtless welcome him 
with grateful hearts, and point to him as a Federal 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. ] 51 

commander whose military and private life reflected 
luster upon the cause which he represented. 

The President's Emancipation Proclamation, which 
went into effect on the first of January, and the pros- 
pect of immediately arming the freedmen to flght the 
enemy, their late masters, are just beginning to be 
warmly discussed by officers and soldiers and citizens. 
We hear from IS'eosho and other sections of the State, 
that returned rebels and many democrats regard these 
new measures of the Government with a good deal of 
bitterness, and predict that they will weaken our cause 
throughout the country. They pretend to think that 
it would be a great disgrace to the Government to 
permit negro soldiers to go into the field and fight by 
the side of white soldiers of the Union armies. But 
these guardians of propriety and advisers of the Gov- 
ernment, see no objection to the negroes of the South 
raising supplies for the rebel armies, building their 
fortifications, acting as servants for officers, and in 
contributing in various ways, directly and indirectly, 
to strengthening the backbone of the Confederacy. 
They wish to see the Government compel the negroes 
to continue forging the chains intended to keep them 
bound in slavery for ever. Even some of our officers 
and soldiers seem to think that nothing but evil can 
come out of these measures, and denounce President 
Lincoln for inaugurating them. They understand 
very little about how difficult it is to resist the progres- 
sive spirit of our time, and would ignore the fact that 
the war has forced the Government to adopt certain 



152 MEMOIES OF THE EEBELLION 

measures which it was not desirous of adopting at the 
beginning. They like to repeat with some emphasis 
that they did not enter the service of the Government 
for the purpose of abolishing slavery, but for the pur- 
pose of saving the Union. And this general state- 
ment now being made by many in the army, I think 
represents their true sentiments. Had they known that 
the war would have so soon brought about the aboli- 
tion of slavery, a great many men now in the service 
would probably never have enlisted. But I think that 
those who take this view of ihe matter, occupy a very 
inconsistent position. We might ask, would they 
keep a portion of our army busy returning runaway 
slaves to their rebel masters? Or would they have 
laro-e pastures or mess houses to keep all the slaves in 
that run away from their masters and come into our 
lines? Or would they carefully investigate each case 
to ascertain to whom the man, woman or child be- 
longed, and then put a tag around the individual's 
neck so that he could be returned to the proper owner 
when the war is over. To my mind any other position 
than that taken by the Government would not only be 
absurd, but impractible. The rebels brought on the 
war, and that their leaders were too short sighted to 
foresee the results is now plain to every one. They 
must make the best of their own mistake. They 
gloried in being blind to the probable future destiny 
of slavery. While the war was not at first ostensibly 
carried on by the Government for the purpose of abol- 
ishing slavery, matters have now taken such a turn 



ON THE BORDEE-1863. 153 

that the freedom of the slaves has become a public 
necessity. Though perhaps most of our people will 
temporarily deplore the necessity, there are others, a 
large minority too, who will hail this opportunity 
which the Grovernment has, of wiping out a national 
crime, with delight. It is a great victory for the latter 
class, — a victory that many never dreamed of realizing 
during their lives. This class shall no longer be con- 
sidered a contemptible minority of fanatics and dis- 
turbers of the peace, because we have advocated that 
all men should have equal rights, to life, liberty and 
the pursuit to happiness. In the future history of 
the Eepublic those noble men of this generation, who 
have stood firm against great odds in advocating the 
abolition of slavery, will be regarded as among the 
saviors of the country. The taunts, and insults, and 
sacrifices which they have endured, have not counted 
for nothing. The judicial murder of John Brown will 
make him a martyr to freedom to the future genera- 
tions of this country; and his name is already woven 
into a war song, which is sung throughout all our 
armies. 

And now the slaves are going to help pay the price 
of their freedom by supporting the strong arms of 
their deliverers, instead of being a burden to them. 
How much better this is than if they do nothing, for 
their descendants can then say with conscious pride, 
^'our fathers, by their manhood and valor, and by their 
blood and sacrifices, contributed to our freedom." It 
would be unnatural for the late slaves to remain idle 



15rt MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

in this great conflict. I^ow is their time to striKe, and 
they will not fail to do it. We have already heard 
that a colored regiment is being organized in Kansas 
from the negro refugees from Missouri and Arkansas. 
If properly officered I have no doubt that they will 
march to the front with iirm steps and brave hearts, 
and meet the enemy like men'who are conscious that 
they are fighting for their liberty and their lives. 

Lieutenant Maxwell Phillips, of the Third Indian 
regiment, was wounded in a skimish with bushwhack- 
ers on Pea Kidge a few days ago. Though a brother 
of the Colonel, he has had to share equally with other 
officers the dangers and hardships of the field. His 
wound is quite serions, though it is not thought that 
with careful attention, it will prove mortal. He has 
been sent to Neosho in an ambulance; but will probably 
soon be taken to Kansas to stay until he recovers. He 
has been an active and efficient officer during the winter, 
and this division cannot well afibrd to lose his services. 

Colonel Judson's brigade is encamped at Mt. Yernon, 
about thirty miles west of Springfield. The cavalry is 
obliged to keep constantly moving in order to find 
sufficient forage for the animals. The troopS in the 
vicinity of Springfield do not seem to be making any 
preparations for an active spring campaign into that 
section of Arkansas occupied by the enemy. I should 
like to hear of our victorious troops of last winter 
carrying their arms into the ranks of the enemy, 
instead of spending the season in inactivity along the 
border counties of southern Missouri. 



ON THE BORDER— 1863 155 

From near Pineville, Missouri, we marched to 
Water's Mills, about three miles north of Benton- 
ville, Arkansas. Kothing occurred on the march 
worth mentioning, except that the country we pass- 
ed over was rough and hilly, as in the vicinity of Pine- 
ville. We could see the pine forests on the distant 
hills, but there were none directly on our road. Our 
advance guard saw several flocks of wild turkeys. 
There are great numbers of them in a part of the 
region that we passed over, for it is very thinly settled 
with a house here and there, miles apart. And from 
what I saw I think that the acorn-bearing oaks must 
have produced immense quantities of acorns last year, 
thus furnishing abundant food for the wild turkeys and 
pigeons of this section. We encamped at Water's Mills 
only a few days, and moved to Bentonville on the 27th 
of February. We shall probably stay here several 
weeks. Bentonville is a small town, and perhaps never 
contained a population of more than three or four hun- 
dred. For agricultural purposes this county is even 
poorer than McDonald county, Missouri. Consider- 
able tobacco, however, was raised on the small culti- 
vated tracts before the v/ar. The hills around here are 
not quite so rugged as along Elk river and Sugar 
Creek some twenty miles northeast of us. 

Yesterday morning, March 1st, Colonel Phillips sent 
a scout in the direction of White river, almost east of 
this place, for the purpose of discovering a party of 
rebels reported to have been seen in that vicinity a 
few days ago; but it returned about midnight without 



156 MEMOIRS OF THE EEBe£,LION 

having found them. Our cavahy will probably be kept 
busy for awhile in endeavoring to free this section from 
bushwhackers, for they have had almost full sway since 
we passed through here last October, just before the 
battle of Old Fort Wayne. When we came here, only 
three days ago, the dust raised by their horses' heels 
had scarcely settled. As a general thing the bush- 
whackers in this section are mounted upon line ani- 
mals, and if they get the start of us beyond the range 
of our Sharp's carbines, we are rarely able to over take 
them. In the battalion of the Sixth Kansas cavalry 
there are some good horses, and in a chase a trooper 
may now and then be able to dash ahead of his com- 
rades and bring down his enemy by a well directed 
shot from his carbine or army revolver. But the 
animals upon which the Indians are mounted are 
mostly ponies, and of course not conspicuous for lleet- 
ness as compared with some of our more carefully bred 
horses. For many years before the war the horse fan- 
ciers of Missouri delighted to trace the genealogies 
of their horses back to the celebrated fine stock of 
Kentucky. The Indian ponies, however, are very 
hardy, and stand the service remarkably well. An 
Indian looks awkward seated upon one of our fine 
cavalry horses, so thoroughly have Indians and ponies 
become associated in our minds together. 

A portion of the first Arkansas cavalry stationed at 
Fayette ville, twenty -five miles south of this place, 
brought in yesterday about thirty rebel prisoners, 
recently captured in the direction of Yan Buren. 



ON THE BORDER-18G3. 157 

They are to be sent to Springfield, Missouri, in a few 
days, as we have no facilities for holding prisoners of 
war in safety. As all the available men of this division 
are required for active service in the Held, none of them 
can well be spared for guarding prisoners, even tem- 
porarily. The military prisons north are the proper 
places for such of the enemy as we capture, instead 
of marching them from station to station with us. 

The turning over of these prisoners to Colonel 
Phillips by the loyal Arkansas troops is noted with 
much satisfaction, for 1 remarked several months ago 
that there were enough Union men in northwestern 
Arkansas, if organized into regiments and battalions, 
to contribute largely in holding this section. The 
First regiment of Arkansas cavalry, commanded by 
Colonel M. La Rue Harrison, has nov/ nearly completed 
its organization, and most of the men have received 
their arms, bright new uniforms and equipments. It 
is reported that some of the men were conscripts in the 
rebel army, and no doubt met us on the field at Prairie 
Grove. But that they have voluntarily come in and 
enlisted in the Union army, is all the evidence of loy- 
alty that we require. Since they have thrown oiT their 
butter-nut clothing and put on the Federal blue uniform 
they look much improved in personal appearance, and 
no doubt will make good soldiers, and if they hold 
Fayetteville, their valor will probably be tested before 
the summer shall have ended 

It is now a settled fact that we shall move into the 
Cherokee Nation in a few weeks, and then these Ar- 



158 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

kansas troops at Fayetteville will be much isolated, 
unless, however, some of the troops about Springfield 
shall move southwest in this direction. It is the in- 
tention to immediately commence the construction of 
some sort of fortifications at Fayetteville. If this in- 
tention is carried into effect it will enable the troops 
there to temporarily repel any force of the enemy 
likely to be brought against them. But the works about 
to be constructed would not enable Colonel Harrison to 
stand a siege of many days, unless he is better provis- 
ioned and supplied with water than is probable. 

Last night (2d), about half past nine o'clock, an un- 
usually bright meteor shot across the sky from the 
northeast to the southwest. It was so bright that it 
seemed to almost cast a shadow, and to illuminate our 
camp. It left a track for quite a distance through the 
atmosphere, which must have lasted for several 
seconds. Several soldiers a few yards distant, who had 
not yet retired, but who were standing about their 
camp fire, talking over their adventures and fighting 
some of their battles over, also saw it. It changed 
their conversation and the current of their thoughts. 
I caught some of their remarks in regard to it. They 
thought it a strange phenomenon, as it was so much 
brighter than ordinary meteors, and wondered if it 
had any significance in relation to our future move- 
ments. One of the party was able to recall to his 
mind that just before some important event in his life, 
a great storm and extraordinary thunder and lightning 
had occurred, or the sky had presented a peculiar and 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. ;i 59 

unusual appearance. There are many people yet who 
believe that natural phenomena of this kind have 
special reference to human affairs, to such an extent 
are their minds unemancipated from the ^ross and ir- 
rational errors of less enlightened times. Many will 
remember that those who are always looking for signs 
of some extraordinary future event, referred, almost 
with delight, to the great comet of 1858, as foreboding 
war. It was once thought by our ancestors, and is 
still thought by some uncivilized races, that eclipses of 
the sun and moon had some connection with the affairs 
of men ; but we have got past that, and regard the 
notion as absurd. It is likewise absurd to suppose 
that a comet in the heavens, or a meteor passing 
through our atmosphere, has any connection with 
human affairs. To all inquiring minds, extraordinary 
natural j^henomena have always been a stimulus to in- 
vestigation. The beauties of the heavens on a clear 
night are fascinating studies not only for the astrono- 
mer, but also for many who have had very little scien- 
tific training. In the southern heavens, during the 
earlier part of the night, the Constellation Orion and 
the Great Dog (Canis Major) are conspicuous objects 
of interest. Sirius, in the latter Constellation, is the 
brightest star in the heavens, and has guided the 
actions of men in war and in peace, long before the 
dawn of written history. When alone admiring those 
far off worlds of the universe, to us mere scintillating 
points — what strange thoughts come rushing through 
the mind. If they are suns, as we are taught, like our 



160 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

sun, have tliey planets revolving around them like the 
planets that revolve around our sun? And if they 
thus have their systema of planets and. satellites re- 
volving around them, are any of those planets inhabit- 
ed by beings something like those on this earth? But 
the nightly procession of the Constellations across the 
heavens will continue eternally, and we shall get no 
answer to our questions. 

On the 3rd the Indian Delegation left for "Washing- 
ton on business pertaining to their own interests. 
While they have no representative in Congress, the 
Cherokees, Creeks, &c., deem it expedient to keep at 
the Capitol of our Government during the Sessions of 
Congress, representatives to confer with the authori- 
ties, and to prepare such measures as it may be 
thought desirable to bring before Congress. JS'ot a 
year passes that Congress is not called upon to pass 
certain laws in regard to the affairs of most of the 
Indian tribes. Their forms of government are simple, 
but as we have to deal with each separate tribe as an 
independent nation, the department of Indian Affairs 
is getting to be quite complicated. The Government 
must listen to the compla-int of each tribe, with a 
patient ear, investigate the alleged cause of complaint 
in each case, and as far as possible, under treaty stipu- 
lations remove every cause of irritation. 



CHAPTEE YIII. 

Colonel Phillips invited to address a Mass Meeting of the Union 
Citizens of Northwestern Arkansas, at Fayelteville — The great 
difficulty in getting Forage — A Scouting Party returns from 
Van Buren-^The Indian Division encamped on the edge of the 
Battle Field of Pea Ridge —An account of the Battle from data 
collected on the Field and from Eye Witnesses— Rebel raid 
on Neosho and Capture of Negroes — A Deserter from the 
Enemy gives Position and strength of their forces— The Ene- 
my's wounded from Prairie Grove at Cane Hill still — Great 
Mortality among them— Skirmish with Bush whackers — Arri- 
val of Forage Trains from White River — Horses eat each 
others Manes and Tails oiT — The Small-pox among the Indi- 
ans — Very few of them Vaccinated— Only a few cases among 
the Wliite Soldiers— Remarks on the Disease — The Govern- 
ment should stock with Animals to furnish Vaccine Virus for 
the Army. 

On the morning of March 4th, Colonel Phillips, 
with an escort of one hundred men, set out for Fay- 
etteville. The Union citizens of Washington county, 
have called a mass meeting to be held at that place, 
and as that county is in his district, have invited him 
to be present, and to address them on current issues, 
and concerning their future prospects. Of course I 
have no means of knowing what advice he will give 
them, but it is easy to imagine that he will advise 
11 



162 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

tneni to enroll every able-bodied loyal man in defence 
of their homes, to be vigilant and take every precau- 
tion against surprise by the enemy, to see to it that 
the troops shall not display a spirit of lawlessness in 
any section in which they may be operating, and lastly 
that the citizens who are in sympathy wdth the Gov- 
ernment shall, as far as practicable, co-operate with the 
troops. While I do not know 'anything about the 
Colonel as a public speaker, I do know that he is able 
to express his thoughts with ease and elegance upon 
paper, for he was for a number of years, before the 
war, a staff correspondent of the New York Tribune 
in Kansas, and wrote the first History of Kansas under 
the territorial regime. I do not know that we have a 
more forcible writer in the State, and if he keeps his 
ofiicial garments clean, and gets through the war alive, 
and returns to Kansas, I cannot see why he should not 
be one of our leading men, and why the people should 
not feel proud of honoring him with the highest posi- 
tion within their gift. Though a man's present con- 
duct and character may be such as to win our admi- 
ration, and justify us in speaking of his prospective 
bright future; yet in these times, when there is so much 
tripping among great men, it is hardly safe to draw such 
a future picture of a man as his present career would 
seem to warrant. He may or he may not follow our 
imaginary paths, and obstacles may be thrown in his 
way which no one can foresee. Though it is unques- 
tionably the duty of every officer and soldier in our 
armies, to work earnestly and faithfully, until we shall 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 163 

compel the last man of the enemy to lay down his 
arms, and return to his allegiance to the Government, 
yet we know that already, during the progress of the 
war, there have been instances in which officers throuo:h 
jealousy, and to break down the reputations of their 
colleagues, have failed to co-operate with them, thus 
causing a useless and criminal destruction of the lives 
of our troops, and a prolonging of the contest. So it 
may be that obstacles will be interposed to prevent the 
deserved promotion of Colonel Phillips. 

It is getting to be more difficult every day to find 
sufficient forage for our animals. They are really be- 
ginning to feel the pinch of hunger, and I fear will be 
much reduced in condition before spring opens, so 
that they can live by grazing. Our forage trains are 
sent almost two days march from camp, and then fre- 
quently return with most of the wagons empty or 
only partly filled with wheat straw. This, under ordi- 
nary circumstances, we use for bedding for our animals, 
but now we are obliged to use it largely as a substi- 
tute for hay and fodder. We cannot understand why 
we are not able to get all the corn and oats from Kan- 
sas that may be required for the command, for we hear 
that great quantities have been contracted for and ar-e 
stored at Fort Scott. If our animals are permitted to 
run down in flesh and to-^ become weak, we shall be ob- 
liged to content ourselves with less aggressiveness. It 
is possible, however, that before we shall have reached 
our usual radius of fifteen to twenty miles, some neigh- 
borhood will be found that can furnish us corn, oats, 
hay and straw for several weeks. 



164 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

A scouting party from this division has just returned 
from Yan Buren via Fayetteville, having been absent 
about a week. While they were in the vicinity of 
Yan Buren, Captain Fred Crafts, the commanding 
officer of the detachment, sent a spy into Fort Smith, 
who returned and reported that the enemy had only 
about three hundred men stationed there. It is there- 
fore evident that we have no organized enemy of much 
consequence directly in our front for at least one hundred 
miles south of us. Since our expedition to Yan Buren 
last December, the rebel authorities have not ventured 
to keep a regular station north of the Arkansas river. 
After an army becomes so demoralized as were General 
Hindman's forces last winter, it takes some time to 
reorganize it for effective operations. Unless the 
enemy receives reinforcements from east of the Mis- 
sissippi, which is not at all likely at present, I think 
it will be impossible for him to organize another such 
an army as that which he had at Prairie Grove. It 
looks now as if the enemy would require all his avail- 
able forces in the west for the defense of Yicksburg, 
which is being invested by our forces under General 
Grant. It would probably be difficult for the enemy 
there to either receive reinforcements from the west 
or to send out troops to the west, so tight are our lines 
being drawn around them. 

One year ago to day, the 6th, the battle known as 
"Pea Ridge" commenced on this very ground. On 
the 6th the enemy, under General Yan Dorn, attacked 
General Sigel's division at this place, and he retreated, 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 165 

contesting every inch of ground, until he formed a 
junction with the other divisions of our army under 
the command of General S. R. Curtis, twelve miles 
northeast of here, between Pea Ridge and Cross Hol- 
lows. I have heard it said that General Yan Dorn 
made the remark, that had his forces attacked Gen- 
eral Sigel twenty minutes sooner, he would have cap- 
tured the entire division of five or six thousand men. 
Twenty minutes more would probably have enabled 
General Yan Dorn to have thrown a strong force be- 
tween Generals Curtis and Sigel, and to have fought 
them separately. A short distance east of this place, 
on the line of retreat, in looking over the late scene of 
operations, I noticed a number of trees still bearing 
marks of shot and shell and small arms. General 
Curtis' forces not only drove Sterling Price's army 
out of Missouri into Arkansas, attacking it first at 
Springfield and then at Sugar Creek, but pursued them 
to Fayetteville, twenty miles south of here. Some 
sixteen miles south of Fayetteville General Price met 
the combined forces of Generals McCulloch, Mcintosh 
and Pike. General Yan Dorn, who had recently been 
appointed by the Confederate authorities to the com- 
mand of the Trans-Mississippi Department, had just 
arrived when the rebel forces formed a junction. He 
at once assumed command of the combined forces, 
numbering about thirty-five thousand men, and some 
sixty pieces of light artillery, and marched rapidly to 
attack General Curtis. Our cavalry and some light 
artillerv that were in advance, and had occupied Fay- 



1QQ MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

ettevilie, fell back on our infantry as the enemy ad- 
vanced in force. All our troops, except General Sigel's 
division, were on tlie main road leading from Spring- 
field to Fayetteville. His division was on the road 
leading from Bentonville to Fayetteville, which, as al- 
ready stated, at this point is about twelve miles west 
of the Springfield and Fayetteville road. His position 
was therefore a critical one, and had General Yan Dorn 
succeeding in cutting him off from the main army 
under General Curtis, he might have been easily beat- 
en, and his division destroyed or compelled to sur- 
render. I have been informed by parties who were 
with General Sigel on his march from this place, that 
he was sometimes almost surrounded by the enemy; 
that during four or five hours, and until he received 
re-inforcements from General Curtis, he was obliged 
to fight the enemy in his front, on his flanks and in his 
rear. But he continued his march, and was able to 
form a junction late in the afternoon with General 
Jefi*. C. Davis' division, about two miles west of the 
Springfield road at the west end of Pea Eidge. Our 
forces, however, were still divided into two separate 
armies, but in supporting distance of each other. 
During the night of the 6th, General Yan Dorn moved 
his entire army around to the west of ours, and on 
the morning of the Tth had his line of battle formed 
north of us in our rear, thus cutting oft* any hope of re- 
treat. General Curtis was therefore obliged to make 
a change of front ; that is, his line of battle must now 
front north instead of south. General Sterling Price's 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 167 

forces occupied the Springfield road directlj north of 
General Curtis' camp, and the divisions of the enemy 
under Generals McCulloch and Mcintosh held posi- 
tions directlj north of General Sigel, some three miles 
west of Price. On the 7th the battle opened on our 
right, and raged furiously during the entire day with 
varying results. When night came our right wing 
had been driven back nearly a mile, but our left wing, 
under Generals Sigel and Davis, had defeated the right 
wing of the enemy, killing Generals McCulloch and 
Mcintosh. During the night of the 7th the enemy's 
forces formed a junction on the ground held by his left 
wing, which was a strong position. 

By moving around and taking up positions north of 
our forces, it was evident that the rebel generals felt 
sure of being able to destroy our army or compel it to 
surrender. Therefore on the morning of the 8th, at 
sunrise, the battle was resumed with even greater 
Herceness. But General Curtis and his division com- 
manders had not been idle during the night in arrang- 
ing their troops and batteries for the impending strug- 
gle. Our- left wing, under General Sigel, was first 
furiously assaulted by the right wing of the enemy, 
but maintained its position with great firmness. After 
several hours hard fighting General Sigel ordered into 
position about thirty pieces of artillery, which, soon 
getting the range of the enemy's guns, silenced bat- 
tery after battery. Our infantry then, under cover 
of our batteries, crept forward, and when within a 
short distance of the enemy's lines the order was given 



168 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

to charge them. The troops that made this gallant 
charge were composed of Illinois, Indiana and Mis- 
souri regiments. The enemy's right wing was now 
pressed back in a good deal of confusion. Soon after 
this fierce contest our right wing forced back with 
great stubborness the left wing of the enemy. His 
lines now formed a kind of crescent, with the convex part 
of it turned toward us, and the horns directed from us, 
and our right and left wings cross-fired him with 
terrible effect. General Curtis, quickly seizing the 
situation, now ordered the charge all along our lines, 
and in a short time the enemy were completely rout- 
ed at every point, and fled in great disorder in every 
direction, leaving their dead upon the field. 

The federal losses in killed and wounded during 
the three days was upwards of twelve hundred men 
and officers. We did not lose any general officers, 
while the enemy had two general officers killed, — 
Brigadier Generals McCulloch and Mcintosh. The 
enemy's losses of enlisted men, killed and wounded, 
also exceeded ours, besides General Curtis captured 
nearly a thousand prisoners. 

That this sketch might be as accurate as possible, I 
spent three days last October, when we were encamped 
on the battle-field of Pea Eidge, in ascertaining the 
positions of different divisions of the two armies. A 
gentleman who was with General Curtis during the 
three day's struggle accompanied us over the field, and 
was able to point out nearly all the places of interest, 
and I made memoranda of them ; besides, I have re- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863 1(59 

c^tlj gone over a part of the field. It was easy to 
judge where the battle had been fiercest by the num- 
ber of newly-made graves. At points where consider- 
able numbers of our soldiers were killed, long trenches 
were dug and the men placed in them side by side, 
and a head-board placed over each man, giving his 
name, regiment, or battery. The places pointed out to 
us as the graves of the rebel dead, indicated that they 
had been buried in heaps ; and we were told by our 
guide that such was the fact. I did not see a single 
head-board placed over any of their graves, although 
General Curtis gave General Yan Dorn permission to 
bury his dead; and rebel-burying parties were on the 
field several days under a flag of truce. 

About a quarter of a mile north of Elk Horn tavern, 
on the brow of a hill a few yards west of the Springfield 
and Fayetteville road, I counted thirty-three graves 
close together, the head-boards showing that the men 
who fell on that hallowed ground belonged to the Ninth 
Iowa infantry. Upwards of two miles southwest 
of Elk Horn tavern, where the battle also raged with 
great fury, the head-boards showed that the men who 
had fallen in this locality belonged to the Second, 
Twelfth and Twenty-fourth regiments Missouri in- 
fantry, and Eighth and Twenty-second regiments In- 
diana infantry, and Thirty-seventh regiment Illinois 
infantry. At other places on the field the federal 
dead had been buried in smaller groups than at the 
points mentioned above. When we were encamped 
on the battle-field in October, the traces of this great 



170 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

battle still most visible were around Elk Horn tavern. . 
The trees in the orchard and the small undergrowth in 
the woods near bj were much scarred and cut to pieces 
by small arms and by grape and canister of the two 
armies. About half a mile south of Elk Horn, on the 
west side of the high road, and just north of the large 
field in which the federal trains were parked, the 
timber, covering a space of perhaps half a mile square, 
was dreadfully torn to pieces by shot and shell. I saw 
trees, probably eighteen inches in diameter, torn and 
split as if they had been struck by lightning. The 
storm from the federal batteries that burst over this 
part of the field must have been terrific. It was 
mostly the work of our batteries on the 7th, after the 
repulse of General Curtis' right wing around Elk Horn. 
The federal forces occupying the large field above 
mentioned, could easily bring their artillery into posi- 
tion to play upon the heavy-timbered woods. 

I have now conducted the reader over the battle-field 
of Pea Ridge, commencing at this place, pointed out 
to|him the position of our forces, and the points where 
our brave men fell in greatest numbers. I hope that 
before many years shall have elapsed after the war is 
ended, the country, for whom these noble men ofiered 
up their lives, will erect at least two monuments upon 
the ground where they fell, to commemorate their 
heroic deeds; and that this ground shall be hallowed 
to the generations who shall succeed us. I could not 
pass this first anniversary upon this field without add- 
ing a word to the memory of the two hundred patriot 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 171 

soldiers who rest in their graves only a few miles from 
our camp * This night no doubt the thoughts of hun- 
dreds of those who lost husbands, fathers, brothers or 

*The Federal army that fought the battle of Pea Ridge was di- 
vided by General Curtis into four divisions, as follows : 

The First Divison, commanded by Colonel P. J. Osterhaus, 
Twelfth Missouri infantry, was composed of the following organ- 
izations : Illinois— Twenty-fifth, Thirty-sixth, Thirty-ninth and 
Forty-fourth regiments of infantry. Missouri— Third, Twelfth and 
Seventeenth regiments infantry, two battalions Benton Hussars 
and two batteries, A and B, six guns each, Second regiment light 
artillery. 

Second Division, commanded by Brigadier General A. Asboth, 
consisted of the following organizations : Missouri— Second and 
Fifteenth regiments infantry, and Fourth and Fifth regiments of 
cavalry, and flying battery, six guns, Ohio Second battery light 
artillery. 

Third Division, commanded by General Jeff. C. Davis, consist- 
ed of the following organizations: Indiana— Eighth, Eighteenth 
and twenty-second regiments infantry ; Illinois-Thirty-seventh and 
fifty-ninth regiments infantry; Missouri— First and Ninth regi- 
ments cavalry, and Colonel Phelps' regiment of infantry, and 
two batteries, one of four guns and another of six guns, 

:f'ourth Division, commanded by Colonel Eugene Carr, Third 
Illinois cavalry, was composed of the following organizations : 
Iowa— Fourth and Ninth regiments infantry, and Third cavalry, 
and first and third batteries Light artillery ; Illinois— Thirty-fifth- 
regiment infantry and Third cavalry ; Missouri— Twenty-fifth regi- 
ment infantry and Bo wen's battalion cavalry. 

General Sigel commanded the First and Second Divisions, 
which formed our left wing. General Davis our centre, and 
Colonel Carr our right wing. 

The Federal -losses were as follows : First division 144, Second 
division 119, Third division 329, and Fourth division 701, making 
a total of 1,351 killed, wounded and missing. The total killed in 
the four divisions was 203, according to official reports. 



172 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

sons at the battle of Pea Kidge, turn to this field, and 
their minds are filled with unspeakable grief on 
account of the cutting short of the lives of those 
whom they loved so dearly. Not only will they call 
to mind this first anniversary of this great battle, but 
they will likely call to mind each succeeding anni- 
versary of it while their affections last, for the dead 
heroes buried upon this field. ISTor is this all. Hun- 
dreds of our brave soldiers who were wounded in this 
battle, still bear scars and unhealed wounds that will 
remind them probably of the anniversary of the 
bloody field of Pea Ridge as long as they live. The 
ides of March of each succeeding year will bring 
vividly before their minds the bloody scenes they have 
passed through on this field. They will recall with 
great vividness the sufferings from cold and fatigue, 
and the hopes and fears of those three eventful days. 
When they recall the charges in which comrades fell 
by their sides, and of others who were left on the field 
mortally wounded and in the agonies of death, shadows 
of sadness will pass over their countenances. Though 
these brave-hearted men in the discharge of their duties 
could plunge the cold steel into the enemy, yet their 
hearts are full of tenderness and affection; and the 
sufi^erings of a comrade from having nobly performed 
his duty, often causes the warm tear to roll down the 
cheeks of the stern soldier. 

Information was received from Neosho this morning 
(9th) that a force of rebels under Livingston made a raid 
on that place a few nights ago and captured about twenty 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 173 

negroes and a number of horses and mules. There was 
not much of a skirmish, for the rebel leader did not 
venture near where our troops were quartered, and 
they did not attack him because he had left before 
they had fairly got into position It seems that 
guards were not posted upon all the roads leading 
into town ; or if they were, that they got captured, or 
reached the post but a few moments ahead of the 
enemy. A couple of soldiers posted on a road several 
miles out, by the time they had halted and ascertained 
whether the approaching force was friend or foe, would, 
if the latter, have few chances of escape, if it were at 
night. If Livingston's men are mounted upon as 
good horses as they are reported to be, they could 
move more rapidly than an Indian guard mounted on 
a pony. In a few weeks the Indian soldiers and a] 1 the 
refugee Indian families will leave Neosho and join us 
in the ]^ation, and then it is the intention to have sta- 
tioned there several companies of the Missouri State 
Militia, who generally have good horses, and will 
probably be able at least to hold their own with the 
guerrillas of southwest Missouri. 

A deserter came into our lines to-day from Colonel 
Carroll's Arkansas regiment, which is now stationed 
below Yan Buren on the Arkansas river. He does 
not think that the enemy in that section contemplates 
an immediate movement northward, as they have not 
a force sufficiently strong to meet our troops in the 
open field. Nearly all the rebel troops in Arkansas, 
he thinks, are in the vicinity of Little Kock, at any 



174 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLlO 

rate, that there is not a large force in the western part 
of the State. We have no reason to doubt this latter 
part of his statement, for our reconnoitering parties 
are ever now and then returning from the vicinity of 
Yan Buren, and in each instance report no enemy in 
force. Captain John Kogers, of the battalion Sixth 
Kansas cavalry, with a detachment of two hundred 
men, returned yesterday evening (13th) from beyond 
Cane Hill, in the Boston Mountains, and reports hav- 
ing met with no signs of the enemy. He saw, how- 
ever, at Cane Hill a large number of the rebel wound- 
ed that were taken to that place last December from 
the battle-field of Prairie Grrove. We have heard that 
a large percentage of the rebel wounded — probably 
nearly as many as General Hindman left on the field 
— have died in the hospitals there during the past 
winter. It may be that the mortality is not unusually 
high for the number wounded. If they have been 
furnished with ample medical supplies and attention, 
and suflicient fuel, covering and clothing, one would 
naturally think that the winter would be more favor- 
able for the healing of gunshot wounds than the 
warm weather of summer. It has now been upwards 
of three months since the battle of Prairie Grove, and 
it is a little surprising that the rebel authorities should 
not have removed all their wounded to Fort Smith or 
to some point within their lines, by this time 

A detachment of about twenty-five men from this 
division had a fight yesterday, some fifteen miles from 
camp, with a party of bushwhackers, and killed six of 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 175 

them. Two of our soldiers were wounded. This was 
tlie liveliest skirmish our foraging parties have had 
for several weeks. 

Two companies of the Third Indian regiment came 
in this evening from Maysville, where they have been 
stationed for some time. That pla«e is now aban- 
doned, and the small fort that was constructed there 
during the winter, as a temporary defence, has been 
destroyed. As we exhausted that section of forage 
and commissary supplies before leaving it, it will now 
hardly afford any special attractions for guerrillas to 
return to until spring shall bring grass sufficient for 
grazing purposes. 

This evening (14:th) a train of upwards of one hun- 
dred wagons came in, loaded principally with corn. 
The corn and forage thus brought in was obtained in 
the vicinity of White Kiver, east of here, and the ex- 
pedition has been absent five days. This forage will 
afford great relief to many of our hungry animals that 
have been rapidly losing flesh of late on account of 
short rations. In a good many instances, horses that 
have been fastened to young trees, have gnawed the 
bark therefrom as high as they could reach, so keenly 
have they felt the pinch of hunger. I have seen some 
horses, too, that have even lost their manes and tails 
by their fellows chewing them in the absence of some- 
thing more nutritious. When the demands of the ap- 
petite are not satisfied, men as well as animals resort 
to almost anything they can chew for food. 

Several days ago one or two members of a refugee 



176 MEMOIRS OF THE EEBELLION 

family were reported to be down with the smallpox 
From inquiries which have been made to-day, it ap- 
pears that quite a number of other cases have broken 
out among the refugees and Indian soldiers here. A 
small pox hospital has been established about half a 
mile outside the limits of our camp, where all small- 
pox patients are taken as soon as their disease has 
been determined. Three or four patients have already 
died, and fears are expressed that the disease will 
spread considerably among the Indians, as it does not 
appear that many of them have been vaccinated. It 
may also take off some of our white soldiers, though 
I do not tind that any of them are in the hospital yet. 
They have generally been vaccinated within the last 
two or three years, so that they do not manifest much 
dread of the disease. It is not likely, however, that 
if some of their friends should be taken to the Small- 
pox Hospital, they would display much affection for 
them for a month or so. Though the white soldiers of 
Captain Hopkins' battery and the battalion of the 
Sixth Kansas Cavalry camp near together, yet there 
can be very little isolation, as by guard and other 
duties white and Indian soldiers are daily thrown to- 
gether. If the disease shows a tendency to spread, 
and to assume a serious form with a high percentage 
of mortality, Colonel Phillips will not probably per- 
mit the air of our camp to become much infected with 
its germs, before moving to another locality. 

This is surely a strange enemy to attack our army. 
Silently as Apollo's arrow^s it comes to those who are 



ON THE BOEDER— 1863. 177 

not armed against it, and the chances are somewhat 
less than one in ten of its taking oif its victim. We 
are thns reminded that we should not only guard 
against attacks from the visible foe whom we seek^ 
but that we should also guard against attacks from the 
invisible foe whom we do not seek, and which may be 
lurking in the very air we breathe. An invisible por- 
tion of the small-pox virus introduced into the blood 
of a person who has never been vaccinated, nor had 
the smallpox, sets up a kind of fermentation, which 
goes on until it has entirely changed the molecular 
constitution of the blood, and in some way or other 
affects all the tissues of the body; or invisible 
germs, floating in the air and inhaled into the lungs, 
produce similar changes. But that we are able by 
vaccination to ward off, in a great measure, the 
dangers from this loathsome disease, is surely a great 
blessing. Were it not that many ol us feel shielded 
from its attack, we should not likely be moving about 
here daily with such perfect composure of mind while 
others are suffering- from its effects only a few hun- 
dred yards off. 

There are some who have a dread of vaccination, 
and I have no doubt that there is often just cause for 
such dread, for there have been many instances in 
which bad results have come from using virus obtained 
from unhealthy persons or animals. The very greatest 
caution should therefore be exercised in regard to ob- 
taining the virus from only perfectly healthy persons 
or animals. Speaking not as a medical practitioner, 
12 



178 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

l)iit as I think from a common- sense point of view, I 
should say that the virus intended for use, ought not 
be obtained from anyone whose blood has been 
poisoned by immoral practices, or anyone having a 
consumptive or scrofulous diathesis, or anyone either 
of whose parents or grandparents died of consumption 
or were scrofulous. Anyone who would ignorantly or 
willfully trifle with the lives and future health of his 
fellows, is a criminal and justly deserves our execra- 
tions. It is possible, however, even after one has 
used his most deliberate judgment, to be sometimes 
mistaken or deceived. From such information as we 
have on the subject, I think it is generally regarded as 
safest to use the virus obtained from the cow. If 
animals were raised for this special purpose, kept iso- 
lated and in good condition, and properly inspected, 
then there should be only an infinitesimal danger in 
using the virus obtained from them. If individual 
enterprise cannot find it renumerative enough to go to 
this trouble, I think that, in time of war, the Govern- 
ment would not go outside of its legitimate functions 
to stock a farm or farms with animals, for the purpose 
of furnishing virus for its soldiers and sailors and- 
citizen employes. 

Our Medical department will, no doubt, after pro- 
per inquiries, be able to vaccinate most of those who 
have not already been recently vaccinated, and thus 
do much to prevent the spread of the disease. The 
approach of spring and a warmer season, will also, per- 
haps, be more favorable towards stamping it out. 



CHAPTER IX. 

The march to Camp Moonlight— Captain Mefford, Sixth Kansas 
Cavalry, defeats Livingston's band— Grass sufficient for graz- 
ing purposes about Fort Gibson— Supply train reinforced— 
A bushwhacker killed near camp — The people should be 
better informed by proclamation of the Federal purposes- 
Officers for the Fourth and Fifth Indian regiments report to 
Colonel Phillips— No such regiments exist — Criticisms con- 
cerning the matter — ISTear Rhea's Mills again — Two loyal Ar- 
kansas regiments organized — After a battle the people show 
on which side their sympathies are by their expressions— The 
people of a less haughty spirit than in Missouri— Reconnois- 
sance returned from Dutch Mills — Women and children raise 
their own foodstuflfs— The soldiers exchange their surplus 
rations for butter, eggs, &c — The Army ration — A party of 
Union men arr2ve from Texas — They were hunted by the 
enemy with blood hounds. 

On the morning of the 17th of March we struck 
tents, left Benton ville, and marched fifteen miles south- 
west to Big Springs, at the head of Flint Creek. This 
is a more desirable section than around Ben ton ville. 
The spring here is one of the finest in Northwestern 
Arkansas, and furnishes an abundance of excellent 
water for ourselves and animals. It arises out of the 
earth almost like a fountain, and runs ofif in a strong, 
swift current. This would be a delightful spot for a 



280 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

village, for, at a small cost the water from this spring 
could be conducted through pipes into the houses for 
the convenience of families. Our camp is called 
Camp Moonlight, in honor of Colonel Thomas Moon- 
light, of the Eleventh Kansas infantry, who was 
General Blunt's Chief of Staff during the campaign in 
this section last fall. He is a brilliant officer, and, in 
personal appearance, one of the finest looking officers 
we had in the division. He is a Scotchman by birth, 
and is about six feet two inches in height, well pro- 
portioned, and his presence, though commanding, is 
not too stern, and altogether is likely to produce a 
favorable impression. I remember him during the 
fall of 1861, as commanding Moonlight's battery, the 
first light battery raised in Kansas. I think he was also 
on the staff of General James H. Lane when he 
marched the Kansas brigade through Missouri to join 
General Fremont's army at Springfield. No officer 
has been more active in organizing and fitting out our 
Kansas troops for the field; nor has any officer been 
more active in the field than Colonel Moonlight. His 
sound judgment and counsel no doubt contributed 
largely to the success of our campaign in this section 
last winter. 

Captain David Mefford, Sixth Kansas cavalry, a few 
days ago had a skirmish with Livingston's band about 
sixteen miles north of Neosho, and got three of his 
men badly wounded, but succeeded in killing and 
wounding seven of the enemy, and putting the 
remainder to flight. Captain Mefford is an experi- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. IgJ 

enced officer, and a better one could not be selected to 
deal with Livingston's guerrillas. 

Several persons who have just arrived from Fort 
Gibson report that grass is coming up in sufficient 
quantities on the Arkansas Kiver and lower Grand 
Eiver bottoms for grazing purposes. While Indian 
ponies might live there on the grass now, it will pro- 
bably be two or three weeks before our cavalry horses 
can live on wild grass, and perform the service 
required of them. It is necessary that they should 
have such strength-giving food as corn and oats, if the 
cavalry arm of the service is to be very effective. But 
all the apj^roaching signs of spring increase the anx- 
iety of the Indians to get into the nation. They 
have not, however, as yet displayed any impatience, 
but are content to be guided by the judgment of 
Colonel Phillips. As soon as transportation can be 
had to remove the Kefugee Indian families from 
Neosho, they will leave that place to join this com- 
mand in the nation. It is not likely, however, that 
the transportation will be in readiness before the first 
of April. And perhaps it would not be advisa- 
ble for them to leave there at an earlier date, as in this 
latitude there frequently occurs some severe weather 
the latter part of March. As the season is always 
about a week further advanced at Fort Gibson, there 
will be no unnecessary delay in their removal. 

Information was received here yesterday evening 
that a rebel force of one hundred men were seen the 
day before in the vicinity of Cane Hill. Colonel 



182 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

Phillips immediately sent out a detachment of cavalry 
under Captain Fred Crafts to discover the movements 
of the enemy, but the force returned here this evening 
without being able to ascertain anything definite in 
regard to the enemy. It is not very likely that such a 
small force would remain many hours at any place 
within twenty miles of this command. This was 
probably a scouting party of the enemy sent our from 
the rebel camp below Yan Buren, to discover some- 
thing if possible in regard to our movements. A 
detachment of seventy -five men under Captain H. S. 
Anderson, Third Indian regiment, were sent out to-day 
to overtake and reinforce the escort to our supply 
train which left here yesterday morning en route to 
Fort Scott. It appears that Colonel Phillips has in- 
tormation leading him to believe that the rebel force 
which was seen a few days ago in the vicinity of Cane 
Hill, has gone north, possibly with the view of attack- 
ing our train. 

A man was found dead to-day just outside the limits 
of our camp. Upon investigation the fact was dis- 
closed that he was a bushwhacker, and had been killed 
the day we arrived here by some of our advance guard. 
A detail of men were sent out to bury him in the spot 
where he had fallen. As decomposition had commenced 
when he was found, no efforts were made to ascertain 
whether he had any effects about him that would give 
any information concerning his name and where lie 
lived. While I have no inclination to make a funeral 
oration over him, yet I will venture to remark that 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 183 

there is a sad thought connected with his lonely and 
obscure grave, for he has fallen in a cause that can 
never receive the sympathy of men lighting for justice 
and equal rights, without distinction of race or color. 
His misguided actions may have resulted, not fronj. 
a natural evil and perverse disposition, but from asso- 
ciations and connections over which he had no control. 
He may not have delighted in shooting our soldiers 
from concealed positions, and he may not have tired at 
them at all. If, when on the march, our troops see a 
man on the highway or in the woods, and he starts to 
run and does not stop when they cry " halt! " they are 
sure to fire upon him. We are constantly hearing of 
men who, after having acted for a wdiile with the enemy, 
became tired of the rebellion and returned to their 
homes, but were afraid to come in and surrender to 
the Federal authorities. We are also told that some 
of these men, when our troops come into their neighbor- 
hood, take to the woods, but without any hostile in- 
tentions towards us, and that they are fed by their 
families clandestinely. Lieutenant Masterton of the 
Second Indiana battery, was assassinated by just this 
class of men when we were encamped near here last 
fall. A number of other officers and soldiers of our 
division met a similar fate, and we feel that men who 
flee from us are our enemies, and not to be trusted. 
No doubt many of the people of this section have ex- 
aggerated notions ot our troops, particularly Kansas 
troops and Indians. That the people might not be 
kept in ignorance of our purposes and actions, I have 



184 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

sometimes thought it should not be regarded as exceed- 
ing his duty if our military commander should issue 
a j)roclamation to the people of the section we occupy, 
defining our duties, and setting forth the treatment 
that will be extended to all who may wish to come in and 
surrender and renew their allegiance to the Govern- 
ment. If such proclamation were made, and some 
pains taken to have it put into the hands of all the 
people of this section, I believe that there are many 
who would seek our protection and friendship, that are 
now avoiding us. At any rate every opportunity should 
be given them to return to their allegiance to the Gov- 
ernment. 

Colonel Phillips, with' a detachment of one hundred 
cavalry, started out to-day in search of another conven- 
ient j)lace for pitching our camp. There is very little 
forage in this vicinity, our troops having well-nigh ex- 
hausted the supply when we were encamped near here 
last fall, before the battle of Cane Hill. When we 
leave here we shall march to Illinois river, twelve 
miles south. 

To-day, March 23d, a number of officers who have 
recently been appointed by the Secretary of "War to 
positions in the Fourth and Fifth Indian regiments, 
reported to Colonel Phillips for duty. As the Fourth 
and Fifth Indian regiments are purely imaginary or- 
ganizations, as far as any one here knows, it is difficult 
to see what duty Colonel Phillips can assign them to. 
If these gentlemen were anxious to serve the Govern- 
ment at this critical time, the authorities at Washing- 



ON THE BOKDER.-1863. 385 

ton might have given them permission to go into the 
]S"ation to recruit their own companies and regiments ; 
and then as fast as a sufficient number of men were 
enlisted into each company to entitle it to a company 
organization, their commissions could have been sent 
to them. I do not know what report will be made to 
higher authorities in regard to the matter, but I feel 
very sure, from inquiries and general information, that 
there cannot be enlisted from amongst the loyal por- 
tion of the Cherokees, Creeks, and Seminoles, more 
than enough men to keep the present three Indian 
regiments up to their maximum strength. This seems 
an unusual proceeding, to issue commissions to officers 
for organizations that do not exist and probably never 
will exist. These officers I suspect, from what I have 
heard, are nearly all relatives or favorities of high of- 
ficials of the Government, and perhaps not in a single 
instance has an appointment been made on account of 
merit, that is, on account of bravery displayed on the 
field, and ability to handle troops in action. If the 
Washington authorities really desired to organize one 
or more Indian regiments, it would have been very 
little trouble to have sent out here for a report show- 
ing the number of Indians that could probably be en- 
listed into the service within a specified time. Colonel 
Phillips no doubt could make such a report in a few 
weeks, which would be approximately correct. If 
there had been vacancies to fill in the Indian regiments, 
it would, in my opinion, be much more just on the part 
of the Government to have filled them by appoint- 



186 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

ments from lists of non-commissioned officers of reg- 
iments that have seen service on the border. It is 
not very pleasant to those who have been in active 
service since early in the war, to have their services 
unrecognized, and to see green and untried men given 
important appointments by their sides and over them. 
Nearly all the orderly sergeants of the three Indian 
regiments of this division, are white men, appointed 
from Kansas regiments, and should be promoted to 
fill any vacancies that may occur in their respective 
regiments. In the event of raising another Indian 
regiment or battalion, or in the case of Colored regi- 
ments which are now being organized, it would be 
quite easy for the Department Commander to call on 
commanding officers of regiments to furnish him lists 
of non-commissioned officers and privates whose gen- 
eral intelligence, bravery, and knowledge of a partic- 
ular arm of the service, would make them efficient 
and useful officers in the event of promotion. Out of 
these lists should be selected the best qualified and 
most deserving, who should be recommended to the 
Secretary of War, or appointing power, for promotion. 
Such a plan, however, is not likely to be adopted at 
present. There are too many who, if they must enter 
the service, must be furnished with honorable positions 
without regard to fitness to fill them. The class of 
men, too, who receive important appointments with- 
out having first earned them by service in the field or 
showing some special qualifications, generally have 
influence enough to get detailed on special duties where 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 18T 

there is very little danger from the enemy's ballets. 
These officers here without commands will probably 
draw their salaries for a few months, or until the facts 
are reported to the War Department that there are no 
men enlisted for the Fourth and Fifth Indian reg-i- 
ments, all the same as if they were fighting, skirmish- 
ing and marching every day. 

The Indian division left Big Springs or Camp 
Moonlight on the morning of the 24th, and marched 
to Illinois Kiver twelve miles south. This brings us 
within ten or twelve miles of Khea's Mills, where the^ 
Army of the Frontier^ under General Blunt, was en- 
camped during the month of December. 

Colonel Phillips has named our camp here Camp 
Pomeroy, in honor of Senator Pomeroy, of Kansas. 
Should a Post office be established at this place after 
the war, it will probably take the name of our present 
camp. 

On this river there are some fine tracts of land, and 
the farmer is no doubt well rewarded for his labor. 
The opening of spring, and the fact that our army 
was all over this section last fall and the early winter, 
will make it difficult to obtain forage, except in very 
small quantities, for our animals. But we are gradu- 
ally moving south with a prospect of holding the 
country. Two loyal Arkansas regiments belonging to 
Colonel Phillips' division are stationed at Fayetteville, 
fifteen miles east of us, and co-operation of the two 
forces in case of emergency would not be difficult. 

A report comes from St. Louis that General Curtis 



188 MEMOIRS OF THE EEBELtlON 

has been removed from the command of the Depart- 
ment of Missouri for some cause not yet fully known 
to the public. It is suggested, however, that his re- 
moval has been brought about because he cannot give 
satisfaction to the two political factions in Missouri. 
The people of Missouri and Kansas, I think, as a general 
thing, feel kindly towards General Curtis since he won 
the great battle of Pea Kidge, and saved those States 
from invasion by the rebel armies, and are not likely 
to be hasty in passing judgment upon his alleged 
short-comings in the administration of his department. 
We do not want a Commanding General with no de- 
cided policy, and who will be continually hampering 
the movements of troops in the field. 

A party of dispatch bearers and mail carries just 
arrived from Neosho, state that a report came there- 
from Springfield, that General Hunter has captured 
Charleston, S. C, after very hard fighting. While we 
should be greatly delighted to hear of the fall of that 
rebel stronghold, we are not inclined to credit the re- 
port as true. It is amusing to notice the efiects that 
good reports and bad reports have upon the coiinten- 
iinces of our men. A report like th« above circulated 
through the camp, even though some doubt is felt 
in regard to its truthfulness, lights up the countenances 
of every loyal heUrt. The prospect of the early clos- 
ing of the war, the thoughts of carrying our victorious 
arms and banners into all the rebel strongholds, and 
of the Stars and Stripes floating over all the cities of 
the South; and the imaginary scenes of returning 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 189 

home, after having passed through many hardships 
and dangers, are enough to make visible smiles play- 
over their countenances. But let the news of defeat of 
any of our great armies in the east reach us, as some- 
times happens, and the sunny countenances of our 
soldiers change, and a shadow of disappointment min- 
gled with stern determination, may be noticed. On 
whichever side our sympathies are on any great ques- 
tion, they are generally clearly displayed on all extra- 
ordinary occasions of victory or defeat. In marching 
across the country just after a great battle has been 
fought by any of our armies, and the news of the re- 
sult of the battle has preceded us, it is generally easy 
to judge on which side the sympathies are, of those 
whom we meet of the noncombatant class. If they 
are rebels they may sometimes, as a matter of policy, 
endeavor to put some restraint upon their feelings, 
but such restraint does not usually conceal their real 
feelings. We can generally tell that there is some 
bitterness of feeling behind a sardonic smile. 

From what I have seen, I do not believe that there 
is so much of that haughty and defiant spirit among 
the noncombatant classes of this state, as in Missouri. 
This may be due to the fact that there was much less 
wealth and luxury here than in Missouri before the 
war. We nowhere see in this section farms contain- 
ing a thousand acres of land in unbroken tracts, and 
inclosed with stone or hedge fences, and stocked w4th 
great numbers of horses, mules and cattle, as might 
have been seen in most of the western counties of 



190 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLIQN 

Missouri a few years ago. The people of Missouri, with 
their slave labor and abundance of every thing, acted as 
if they felt their superiority to the people of any other 
section. Though no one desires to humble their proud 
spirits, the war will probably teach them a keener 
sense of justice than they have hitherto shown to- 
wards those who differed with them in regard to 
slavery. 

A party of seven guerrillas was seen yesterday 
evening less than a mile from our camp, but they soon 
disappeared in the thick woods. Whether they are 
prowling around intent on some mischief, or whether 
they have unintentionally come upon us while passing 
through the country to some other locality, is not 
known. But as the soldiers express it, it will hardly 
be safe for them to roost in this vicinity. It is possi- 
ble that they have been sent by the rebel commanding 
officer at Yan Buren or Fort Smith, into this section, 
for the purpose of ascertaining whether our whole 
force is moving south, or only a reconnoitering party. 
In a few days the organized forces of the enemy north 
of the Arkansas River will find it convenient to retire 
to the south bank. There is now no prospect of Colo- 
nel Phillip's progress being checked this side of Fort 
Gibson. 

Yesterday morning (2Sth) a detachment of thirty 
men were sent to Neosho with the mail for the Korth, 
and instructions to the commanding officer at Neosho, 
in regard to removing the troops and all the refugee 
Indian families from there to the nation. By the time 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 191 

the J will be able to join us, their ponies can live by 
grazing on the grass of the river bottoms. They will 
no doubt be delighted beyond expression that the time 
has come for their return to their homes from their 
long exile. 

Captain N. B. Lucas and Lieutenant W". M. Smalley, 
of the battalion of the Sixth Kansas cavalry, with about 
two hundred men, returned last night from Dutch 
Mills, a small j^lace a few miles west of Cane Hill, and 
right on the line of Arkansas and the Cherokee Na- 
tion. We were sent out two days ago with the view 
of ascertaining as far as possible any contemplated 
movements of the enemy, as information had been re- 
ceived here via Fayetteville, that a rebel force of a 
thousand men, under Colonel Carroll, were encamped 
at Yan Buren on the 24th, and were intending to move 
north on the state line road. From all the informa- 
tion we could get there is no reason to believe that 
Colonel Carroll's force will make any eiFort to operate 
north of the mountains for several weeks. If Colonel 
M. LaEue Harrison, the commanding officer at Fay- 
etteville, is a good fighter, he should be able to hold 
that post against three thousand men. He has prob- 
ably better facilities for keeping himself informed in 
regard to the movements of the enemy south of him 
than Colonel Phillips has, for many refugee families 
are constantly coming into that place from all over the 
western part of the State. A good many of the fam.- 
ilies of the men of the two regiments stationed there, 
have not left their homes. An almost constant com- 



192 MEMOIKS OF THE REBELLION 

muni cation is therefore kept up between the troops at 
Fayetteville and such of their families as still remain 
on their homesteads. The loyal families living at a 
distance from Fayetteville probably feel such a deep 
interest in the command to which their male members 
belong, that doubtless, in many instances, they would 
spare no effort to convey information to it which may 
be useful to it in guarding against surprise by the 
enemy. Many of the women of this section 
are perfectly at ease in horse -back riding, and 
in a matter in which they felt great interest, would 
perhaps not hesitate to perform a journey of several 
days. But admitting that the wives and daugh- 
ters of our troops at Fayetteville are disposed to keep 
them advised of the movements, as far as practicable, 
where would they get animals to ride. That indeed 
would be the great difficulty; but 1 think that very 
many families, both loyal and disloyal, keep some 
kind of animals on their premises; blind horses, knock- 
kneed mules, or even something better, so that they 
will not do for army service. Yery few first-class 
horses and mules were left in this section after our 
army moved north last winter. 

Arrangements are being made to remove all the sick 
of this division to Hilterbrand's Mills, about thirty 
miles west of here, in the Cherokee nation, on the first 
of April. We know now that we shall move across^ 
the line into the Nation in a few 'days. The peach 
trees have been in bloom for several days, and the 
swelling buds on the forest trees are ready to bursty 



ON THE BORDER-1863. X93 

and display their young leaflets, and we see a good 
many wild flowers of early species by the wayside. 
Some of our detachments which have just come down 
from Missouri and Kansas, say that the season is nearly 
two weeks further advanced liere than there. But 
Spring will not bring that renewed life and activity, 
of which it is significant, among the people here, that 
it will North. Of the hundreds of farms all over 
this region, very few can be cultivated this season, for 
the fences around most of them have been destroyed, 
burned as fuel by the armies, and there is nobody left 
to cultivate them except women and children, cripples 
and old men. Here and there these classes may find 
rails enough left to inclose a few acres, and cultivate 
them, with the assistance of such animals as have not 
been taken for use in the army. Mothers and daugh- 
ters who, before the war, never dreamed of having to 
work in the fields, and who knew nothing of the hard- 
ships entailed upon many families by the war, will 
have to raise their own sustenance in this section this 
year. Of course in those families where sons are grow- 
ing up, and are in their teens, the hardships will not 
fall so heavily upon the female members. The uncer- 
tainty of being able to use or to get a just and fair 
equivalent for what they raise under all these disad- 
vantages, must fill the minds of many with discour- 
agement. Their own necessities, however, prospective 
want, prompt them to make the best of the situation. 
We have seen some plowing and preparations for 
planting and sowing garden stuflf: and Colonel Phil- 
13 



194 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

lips has exercised great care in not permitting depre- 
dations on the premises of the people, on the line of 
our march, and in the neigborhood of our camps. We 
have been obliged to forage on the country during the 
past winter, but I think, as a general rule, families have 
been permitted to keep undisturbed their supplies of 
provisions, such as flour, meal and bacon. The rations 
issued to this command, with the exception of fresh 
beef and pork, have all been transported from the 
North. We have had full rations all winter, for which 
we are indebted to the untiring and cautious judgment 
of Colonel Phillips. The army ration is good, sub- 
stantial food, and is all any man, not a glutton, needs 
to keep himself in excellent condition. And our men 
are in excellent condition, and I think it probable, that 
since they have become inured to the service, they had 
never enjoyed better health at any time before their 
enlistments. Each company accumulates quite a sur- 
plus of rations every month. The company commis- 
sary sergeant is generally authorized to exchange some 
of these surplus rations for articles not issued bytlie 
Government, as butter, eggs, chickens, &c. Our ex- 
cellent coffee is in great demand among the peoj^le of 
this section, as many of them have not used the gen- 
uine article since the first year of the w^ar. In some 
families brown corn or wheat has been used as a sub- 
stitute. Corn coffee is a quite common expression in 
this section, but the next generation may never hear 
of it. We sometimes hear the remark, that a cup of 
"Yankee coffee" will make even a rebel lady smile. To 



ON THE BORDER-1863. | 95 

many the flavor of pure coffee is more agreeable than 
the bouquet of a fine wine. Rebel as well as Union 
^ families, do not hesitate to offer their commodities for 
exchange. Our tea, sugar, molasses, and even salt, 
may also be exchanged to good advantage by our sold' 
iers, as these articles cannot now be obtained in this 
section by purchase. 

I have generally issued to the regiment to which I 
belong, from one-fourth to half of the bread ration in 
hard bread, or "hard tack," and the remainder inflour; 
and about the same proportion of the meat ration in 
bacon, and the balance in fresh beef. Hence when de- 
tachments are sent out on scouting expeditions for 
several days, they are furnished with hard bread and 
bacon, a food that is strength-giving and much relished 
after one has been marching all day and night. When 
in camp we always have fresh bread and fresh meat, 
beef, pork or mutton. Perhaps no government has 
ever had a better system of providing for the comforts 
of its soldiers than ours, during the present war. 

Eleven men came into our camp to-day (31st) from 
southwestern Arkansas and northern Texas. J. E. 
Pratt, a staunch and prominent Unionist from Texas* 
is the leader of the party. He lived in Missouri at the 
breaking out of the war, and moved to Texas to keep 
out of it, but soon found that it was not a suitable 
place for a man whose sympathies were with the Gov- 
ernment. These men represent a dreadful state of 
things in the sections which they have recently left. 
Mr. Pratt states that in northwestern Texas, there are 



196 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

many Union families, and that the Union men have 
made several attempts to organize, but that such at- 
tempts' have resulted disastrously to all those whose 
names were connected with any loyal demonstration. 
He also represents that a good many Unionists have 
been hung — sixteen in one town, and that others have 
been persecuted and hunted down with the assistance 
of bloodhounds ; that Union men could not then con- 
ceal themselves in the woods and mountains in the 
vicinity of their homes, as rebels do in this section, 
for the bloodhounds would soon be upon their tracks. 
They could find no resting place until they left the 
State, Such cruel and relentless treatment as these 
men appear to have received at the hands of the rebel 
authorities, we might expect from savages, but not 
from civilized men. For upwards of two hundred 
miles they had a toilsome journey, often finding it 
difiicult to work their way through mountain passes, 
guarded by the enemy. Men of pronoimced Union 
sentiments no doubt have a hard time of it, where they 
are so unfortunate as to live in localities in which the 
rebel sentiment largely predominates. Perhaps few 
of us fully realize what it costs to be a Union man in 
the South. But let those who love the Old Flag of their 
fathers, stand firm in its defence, for if the signs of 
the times are not at fault, the day of their deliver- 
ance cannot be very distant. 



CHAPTER X. 

April Fool's day— Seven Pin Indians killed at Park Hill, C. N., 
by the enemy in federal uniform— The march to Cincinnati 
on the State line— War paint and yelping of the Indians when 
they start out— Commendable conduct of the Indian soldiers 
while in Missouri and Arkansas— The division crosses the 
line into the Indian country— On the march to Park Hill— 
The country becomes more inviting and the vegetation more 
advanced— Rebel scouting party near Fayetteville— Arrival at 
Park Hill and meeting of the Indian refugee families from 
Neosho— Great manifestations of joy and affecting scenes— 
Stanawaitie commanding the rebel Indians— Colonel Phillips 
sends out a strong reconnoissance— Webber's Falls— He 
drives the enemy into the Arkansas River and takes Fort 
Gibson— Description of the place— Its importance— The 
beautiful Grand and Verdigris Rivers. 

This is April Fool's day, but no one has come to me 
all aglow with excitement and asked me to prepare to 
meet the enemj charging down the road. Nor have 
I heard that some adventurous spirit, amongst us, in a 
dream last night, commenced to kill all our animals, 
thinking he was slaying the enemy like mad Ajax. 
Probably not one in a hundred of our soldiers here 
thinks of the first day of April in connection with the 
custom associated with it in nearly all the large cities 
of Christendom. 



198 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

A detachment of this division just arrived from 
Park Hill, Cherokee !N^ation, reports that seven of our 
Indians, known as Pins, were killed at that place a 
few days ago by a party of rebels wearing the federal 
uniform. Bj this deception and dastardly act the en- 
emy were permitted to approach within a few yards of 
the Indians, and, by a well-directed fire, shot them 
down before they had time to oflfer any resistance. 
This is not the only instance during the past year of 
small detachments of our troops having been en- 
trapped by the enemy who were dressed in the federal 
uniform. Orders were issued early in the war in re- 
gard to the punishment to be inflicted upon rebels 
caught wearing the federal uniform. Every one cap- 
tured wearing it should be tried by a drum-head 
court-martial, condemned and immediately shot. 
Should any of our soldiers go within the enemy's 
lines and practice a similar deception, and get cap- 
tured, they would hardly expect any leniency from the 
confederate authorities. Such a method of carrying on 
war cannot be too strongly condemned, nor those 
caught engaged in it too quickly punished to the ex- 
tent of involving the death penalty. On our side we 
do not wish to let the war degenerate into a form that 
would put us on a par with the lowest savages. One 
would think that the confederate leaders, who like to 
boast of their chivalry, would not tolerate practices 
so much at variance with the usages of modern 
warfare among civilized nations. In the end such 
treachery and cowardice can avail them nothing, 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 199 

besides it will leave a stain upon their arms that 
history cannot wipe out. 

The Indian division left Camp Pomeroy on the Illi- 
nois river, on the morning of the 3d, and marched 
twelve miles southwest to Cincinnati, a small village 
on the State line. The place may have contained a 
population of a hundred people before the war, but 
probably nearly half the families have moved away — 
particularly those of known Union sentiments. In 
peaceable times the few business establishments here 
j)erhaps had quite a traffic with the Indians from the 
Cherokee Nation. It is the intention to remain here 
only a few days, when we shall pass into the Indian 
territory, which will probably for some time be the 
centre of our operations. 

Lieutenant Joseph Hall, of the battalion of the 
Sixth Kansas cavalry, with a detachment of one hun- 
dred men, came in to-day from Dutch Mills, where 
he was sent several days ago to fetch out a number 
of Unionists who have been concealed in the nioun_ 
tains to escape capture and destruction by the enemy. 
Colonel Phillips has shown a disposition to do every- 
thing in his power to afford protection to the loyal 
people of this section. The appeals for protection and 
assistance in various ways are quite numerous. One 
day a report comes in that a Union family, some thirty 
miles distant in a given direction, has been robbed by 
bushwhackers of everything they possessed, are in desti- 
tute circumstances, and desire to come into our lines 
until they have an opportunity of going north with 



200 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

our supply trains and escorts.' Another day the news 
comes to us of a loyal family in distress in some other 
direction. A detachment of cavalry and one or more 
mule teams are sent out to bring in the men, women 
and children, and their effects. 

Last night, just as a scouting party were going out, 
an Indian soldier was instantly killed by the dis- 
charge of a musket on the shoulder of a comrade in 
front of him, — going off accidentally. The muzzle of 
the gun was so near him that the ball tore away nearly 
the whole anterior portion of the skull. The Indian 
troops are armed with muzzle-loading muskets, whose 
calibres range from 69 to 72, requiring balls weighing 
upwards of an ounce. They do not always sling their 
muskets to their shoulders so that the muzzles point 
directly downwards, as we do our Sharp's carbines. 
Nor are their arms as effective as ours. We can per- 
haps, on an average, load and discharge our Sharpe's 
carbines a dozen times while an Indian loads and dis- 
cjiarges his musket once. Our small arms have been 
already greatly improved since the war commenced. 
The troops that have been longest in the field are gen- 
erally supplied with the most improved models. But 
the Indians are generally good marksmen, and when 
rapid firing is not required (as on the skirmish line) 
their muskets may be used quite effectively. 

The Indians are rather amusing as soldiers, particu- 
larly in regard to their war-paint and yelping when 
starting out on a scouting expedition or on the march. 
They seem to prefer to march in single file; but our 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 201 

officers have drilled tliem in the regular manual, so 
that there is now very little difficulty in having them 
march by twos, fours, and by platoons, as required. 
But no matter in what order they are marching, when 
they start out and the head of the column has got far 
enough from camp for the rear to get in motion, the 
war whoop commences at the head of the column and 
runs back to the rear. This is generally kept up for 
some time. When the air is more resonant than 
usual, I have heard the woods fairly ring with their 
yelping. During the campaign in this section last 
falC Colonel Phillips' Indian brigade was often a mile 
or more from us, but we knew every morning, unless 
it was stormy weather, just when it started out, by 
this yelping or war whoop, which generally lasted fif- 
teen to twenty minutes. There is a strong contrast 
between the Indian and our white soldiers in this re- 
spect. Ten thousand of, our white troops may start 
out on the march every morning, and manifest such 
silence that ihey could not be heard a hundred yards 
away, except as to the tramping of their horses and 
the ratting of their artillery carriages. 

Though our Indian troops have been in Missouri 
and Arkansas since early last autumn, I believe f at 
they have committed fewer unathorized depredations 
than the same number of white troops, had they occu- 
pied the same localities. The non-combatant classes 
seem to have an almost instinctive fear of the Indians, 
yet it has been a very rare thing to hear of complaints 
being made against our Indian soldiers for having 



202 MEMOIES OF THE REBELLION 

committed unauthorized acts. Much credit is due to 
Colonel Phillips for the splendid discipline he has 
maintained without having to resort to severe meas- 
ures. 1^0 military commander could have discharged 
his duty in a more commendable manner. We pass 
now into the Indian country, and bid a temporary 
adieu to Arkansas. 

Early on the morning of the 6tli we left Cincinnati 
and. marched to Dutch Mills, twelve miles south, on 
the State line. At this point we took the road leading 
into the Cherokee Kation towards Park Hill, but 
marched only a few miles west when we pitched our 
camp, and called it Camp '' Jim Lane," in honor of 
Senator James H. Lane, whose name is familiar to 
every one acquainted with the history of Kansas. At 
eight o'clock on the morning of the 8th everything 
was in readines to move, and from Camp " Jim Lane" 
we marched to Park Hill, twenty-two miles west, and 
encamped near the residence of the Chief, John Poss. 
After we left Duchtown every mile of the country we 
passed over became more inviting. For agricultural 
and grazing purposes it is certainly much superior to 
Arkansas. We crossed the Illinois river again, a few 
miles to the east of us on the march here. It dis- 
charges a larger volume of water than when we crossed 
it in Arkansas, and its bottoms are much wider, and 
its course changes toward the south. It does not, 
however, go rushing along in such a rapid and im- 
petuous current, but is now a placid and gently flow- 
ing stream. Every day's march to the southwest 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 205 

brings ns into a region where the vegetation is more 
advanced than where we were the day before, the wild 
flowers are more beautiful, the birds sing sweeter and 
have brighter and more elegant plumage, and alto- 
gether one feels happier. We believe that even our 
animals show a more hopeful expression. Grass and 
wild onions in the river bottoms are up an inch or so in 
height, and animals not required to work can live 
without any other food. The country here is not so 
broken and hilly as in nortwestern Arkansas; in fact 
we are right on the border of the prairie region. 

A detachment of the battalion, the Sixth Kausa& 
cavalry, who came in from Fayetteville this mornings 
report that a rebel scouting party of about one hun- 
dred and fifty men, were within seven miles of that 
place on the 6tli instant. Our soldiers came near run- 
ning into the main body of them, so near, indeed, that 
they captured one of their men who had fallen behind^ 
and brought him a prisoner to our camp, using him 
most of the time as a guide. This considerable force 
of the enemy's cavalry, so near our troops, indicates 
his intention of displaying greater activity as the sea- 
son advances. Now that we are getting so far away 
from Fayetteville, about fifty miles, and as we shall 
probably have our own hands full very soon. Colonel 
Harrison will have to depend upon his own resources 
to hold his station. We are unable to understand why 
so many of our troops are kept in the vicinity of 
Springfield, as we have heard of no threatened inva- 
sion of Missouri by the enemy directly south or south- 



204: MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

east of that place. The State Militia could probably 
preserve order in that section if our volunteer troops 
should occupy a more advanced position, and prevent 
the invasion of the State by the organized forces of 
the enemy. 

The refugee train arrived to-day (9th) from Neosho, 
having been ten days en route to this place. The 
train, which was about a mile long, came in sight 
about ten o'clock. It was a lovely spring morning, 
the air soft and balmy, and everything looking gay and 
cheerful. Some of the Indian soldiers went out 
several miles to meet their families, but many waited 
until the train had approached near our camp. I 
watched them with a good deal of interest. Such 
manifestations of joy on the meeting of husbands and 
wives and children, I have never before witnessed. 
There were,perhaps,nearly a thousand families brought 
down, and in many instances husbands have been 
separated from their wives and children for nearly a 
year. Their joy was, no doubt, increased with the 
thought of being able to meet one another in their 
own country and near their own capital. The restor- 
ing to their homes an entire people who have so long 
been exiles, will surely be an event in their history 
tliat should not be passed over without mention. If 
they were as emotional in their natures as the French, 
I know they would cry with one voice, viva la Phil- 
lips. But their unbounded confidence in him shows 
their strong regard for him, and is probably as keenly 
appreciated by him as noisy demonstrations. That 



ON THE BORDEE.-1863. 205 

lie should have provided for the safety and comfort of 
their families during the winter, and restored them to 
their homes so early in the spring, is enough to set 
them rejoicing, with hearts full of gratitude towards their 
deliverer. Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee E'a- 
tion, is about seven miles northwest of here, but it has 
never been a place of much importance in a business 
point of view. It never contained a population of 
more than a few hundred inhabitants, and a dozen 
good buildings. Some of the buildings will probably 
soon be used for hospital purposes for the sick of this 
division, particularly the small-pox patients. 

A skirmish took place yesterday, the 10th, at Fort, 
Gibson between a battalion of our Indian soldiers and 
a small force of Standwai ties' Kebel Indians, resulting 
in the capture of half a dozen prisoners and the kiU 
ling and wounding of five of the enemy, the remain- 
der having made their escape by swimming across the 
Arkansas river. It may now be said that we have un- 
disputed possession of all the Indian country north 
~ of the Arkansas river. If there are any forces on 
this side of the river they will doubtless plunge inta 
it rather than to cross swords with our troops. 

Colonel Standwaitie, who has commanded the Kebel 
portion of the Cherokees, is himself a Cherokee, and 
seems to have a wider fame than his valor and military 
skill entitle him to. We have heard a good deal of 
him ever since we came into this country last June, 
but have been unable to meet him. When we have 
had a skirmish with any of his Indians, it has always. 



■206 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

turned out that he was not with them. We do not 
quite regard him as a mythical character, but we do not 
believe him to be such a brave and dashing Indian as 
lie has often been represented, and as the frequent 
use of his name in connection with predatoiy actions 
would indicate. He has never boldly attacked even a 
detachment of our troops. Our Indians say that his 
name is not appropriate at all, that he does not stand 
and wait for us, but that he is always on the run as 
soon as our troops seek him. We shall, however, 
doubtless have occasion to try his valor before the 
summer is over. 

Our entire division is to move to Fort Gibson in a 
few days; but before setting out. Colonel Phillips has 
deemed it expedient to thoroughly reconnoitre the 
country between here and that place, and for that pur- 
pose to-day sent out a party of the Second Indian 
regiment and one company of the battalion of the 
-Sixth Kansas cavalry, under Colonel David B. Corwin. 
Every precaution is being taken that our trains, artil- 
lery, and thorough organization shall not be endanger- 
ed by ambuscade or surprise. We are now so far 
away from any other troops from whom we could ex- 
pect assistance, that a defeat might prove the com- 
- plete demoralization of this division. Colonel Phil- 
lips has carefully considered the probable consequences 
which' would be sure to follow any reckless action of ^ 
military commander occupying his position. 

Major Foreman, of the Third Indian regiment, who 
was sent out from here on the 8th instant with about 



ON THE BOIlDER-1863. 207 

three liundred men, to ixiake a reconnoissance in the 
direction of Webber's Falls, on the „ Arkansas river, 
some twenty -five miles south of us , returned to-day, 
having captured nearly three hundred head of cattle, 
and killed six of the enemy, including one captain 
and one sergeant. He also brought in a number of 
prisoners, who thought that their last day had come. 
The action took place near the mouth of the Illinois 
river, and the enemy were so completely surprised 
that they made very little resistence. We had only 
three or four men wounded. 

On the morning of the 1 3th the troops and trains 
of our division left " Camp John Ross," and marched 
to Fort Gibson, eighteen miles southwest. We passed 
over a lovely country, probably the finest in the 
Cherokee Nation. It appears to have been very well 
settled before the war, with many good farms under 
cultivation. The line of march was mainly over rol- 
ling prairies, though there was some timber on several 
small streams which we crossed. 

Now that we have pitched our tents at Fort Gibson, 
and as this place will probably be the centre of our 
operations during the spring and summer, we may 
look around a little with the view of finding some- 
thing worth setting down. This is quite an old post. 
It was established as a militar}^ post by the United 
States before the Cherokees left their Tennessee and 
Georgia homes and emigrated to this Territory. There 
are now two or three persons living here who say that 
they have a distinct recollection of Jefierson Davis, a 



208 MEMOIRS GF THE REBELLION 

Lieutenant of Dragoons, when lie was stationed at this 
post as far back as 1832. It does not appear that any 
defensive works were ever erected here, except a couple 
of block-honses, and thej are useless now. There are 
two good substantial stone buildings which have been 
used for quartermaster and commissary store houses. 
Their rooting is made of slate, and they will be very 
valuable in storing our quartermaster and commissary 
supplies, as they are transported by trains from Fort 
Scott. They are large enough to hold supplies for 
this division for upwards of thirty days. And they 
stand on a bluff overlooking Grand River to the west. 
The officers' and soldiers' quarters are wooden struc- 
tures, and built on a piazza or public square, similar to 
the Court House squares of country towns. They are 
about two hundred yards south of the stone buildings 
above mentioned, on the slope of the hill, and are 
beginning to look old and dilapidated, although the 
interiors of the officers' quarters are in good con- 
dition, having been more expensively and elegantly 
finished up than the soldiers' quarters. They are dif- 
ferent from the officers' and soldiers' quarters at Fort 
Scott, Kansas, in this respect: They are all single 
storied buildings, while at Scott the officers' quarters 
have two stories with attics, and, the soldiers' quarters 
are two stories. There are several unfinished stone 
buildings on the bluff" near the quartermaster and com- 
missary store houses, which before the war the Govern- 
ment had under contract to be finished up for permanent 
quarters for officers and soldiers of the Eegular Army. 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 209 

The location here is a lovely one for a military post, 
and perhaps for some future city of considerable 
importance. Looking to the east from the blnff where 
the stone buildings stand, you see in the distance, some 
ten miles oif, the western terminus of the range of 
mountains which run north-eastward through Arkan- 
sas. Turning to the south, you overlook the Arkansas 
river three miles distant, and your eyes rest upon the 
opposite heights, and the prairie country beyond. Some 
places the heights are obscured by the heavy timber 
along the Arkansas; at other places you see them as 
through a vista. Turning to the west and south-west, 
you see at the distance of two miles, the western heights 
of Grand Kiver. Further to the south-west may be seen 
a prairie region with a strip of timber running through 
it in a south-east direction. This strip of timber marks 
the course of the Yerdigris River, which empties into 
the Arkansas Eiver some five or six miles above the 
mouth of Grand River. The junctions of these three 
rivers, the Arkansas, the Grand and the Yerdigris, 
being within a few miles of each other, and the three 
being nearly of the same size, will be favorable for the 
building of an important city somewhere in this 
vicinity when the country comes into the possessioM 
of the whites, as it probably will sometime in the 
future. The Cherokees, however, have made such 
progress in civilization, and have also been such 
staunch and reliable friends of the whites for nearly 
a century, with one or two unimportant exceptions, 
that they are not likely to be disturbed in the peaceable 



210 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

possession of their country under the existing order of 
things. As a people, thev might have been regarded as 
wealthy before the war. When we came into this 
section and the country above here last July and 
August, we saw fine herds of cattle and ponies graz- 
ing upon the prairies, or standing in the cool waters of 
shady and peaceful flowing streams, the very pictures 
of rural life in a beautiful and happy country. The 
pictures were of course incomplete, for we nowhere 
saw in the background or foreground happy maidens 
tripping along and attending to their dairy or house- 
hold duties. Nor did we hear happy voices or see any 
of those desirable features of country life, familiar to 
those whose earlier years were passed on the farm. 

But let us return to things as we now see them. 
This has been a central position from which the 
Government could easily communicate with a number 
of Indian tribes. Supplies for the troops stationed 
here, and annuity goods for distribution to the Indians, 
have been brought up by river transportation, ever 
since this post was established. Every season during 
the spring rise of the Arkansas River, light draft 
steamers have not only run to this point, but some- 
times for nearly a hundred miles above here on the 
Grand Kiver. I saw an inscription on a tombstone yes- 
terday, that a Lieutenant of the Regular Army was 
drowned at the mouth of the Neosho river in 1836, 
from having fallen overboard a steamboat at that point. 
The point where the military road to Fort Scott 
crosses the Keosho river is nearly a hundred miles 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 211 

from Gibson. But I have heard from those who have 
lived here for many years, that there has been very 
little steamboating above this place. There has been 
no great inducements, no great commercial interests 
involved, to make it worth while to keep the river in 
a navigable condition. It requires a considerable rise 
in the Arkansas to enable boats to pass "Webber's 
Falls. Below that point light draft steamers can 
probably run on the river the greater part of the year. 
How far it is possible to remove the obstacles to navi- 
gation at Webber's Falls, can be determined only after 
a careful examination by an experienced and compe- 
tent engineer. I^avigation on the Arkansas will 
always be troublesome between this place and Fort 
Smith, on account of the river constantly shifting its 
current, caused by the formation of sand bars. It is 
turbid and treacherous, and contrasts strongly with the 
Grand Kiver, which is perfectly clear except during the 
season of heavy rains, and flows over a gravelly or 
pebbly bottom. Both rivers abound in fish, and those 
of our soldiers who are fond of the sport of angling 
will doubtless, when off duty, try their skill at it while 
we are stationed here. 

From the blufif we can see a portion of the territory of 
the Creeks and Seminoles, Chickasaws and Cherokees. 
We have not as yet had any loyal Choctaws and Chic- 
kasaws join us, though we hear there are a good many 
among them who would prefer to cast their fortunes 
with the Union if they could have any reasonable as- 
surance of protection. As we have come here to stay, 



212 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

they will probably have ample opportunity of mani- 
festing their loyality and devotion to the Government 
by coming in and surrendering to Colonel Phillips. 



CHAPTEK XI. 

Fort Gibson the Key to the Indian country — The enemy show- 
ing signs of activity — The troops at Gibson commence to 
build bake ovens — Anxiety for the supply train — Creek 
Indians coming in — The enemy concentrating at Webber's 
Falls — Celebrating the event of hoisting the United States 
Flag at Fort Gibson — A sad accident — Arrival of supply train 
from Fort Scott — Part of Neosho burned— The enemy attack 
Fayetteville and are defeated — A young man as a spy caught 
dressed in a woman's suit — The troops commence to throw up 
fortifications at Fort Gibson — Strength of the Federal posi- 
tion — Engagement at Webber's Falls— Capture of the enemy's 
camp — Assassination of Dr. Gillpatrick — They are on business 
in connection with exchanging of prisoners — Arrival of rebel 
officers under a flag of truce — Reconnoissance of Colonel 
Schaurte to the Arkansas line — Colonel Harrison abandons 
Fayetteville— Colonel Phillips reviews his division. 

The importance of this position is not likely at first 
glance to be fully appreciated. It is really the key to 
this entire Indian country, and great credit is 
due to Colonel Phillips for having seized it before 
the enemy received reinforcements. By throwing up 
breast works and constructing fortifications, we can 
hold the place against a force of the enemy twice as 
large as our own, unless he should be better supplied 
with long-range artillery than we are. I think that 



214 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

we have also gained an advantage in regard to obtain- 
ing our supplies from Fort Scott. While we are 
further removed from our base of supplies, the distance 
to Fort Scott from this post bj the old military road 
being about one hundred and sixty miles, our supply 
trains after they leave the southern line of Kansas will 
move all the way down on the west side of Grand 
river, and therefore doubtless be freer from attacks by 
the enemy than if they were obliged to come down the 
State lines of Missouri and Arkansas. From about 
this time in the spring until the summer is considera- 
bly advanced, it is frequently difficult for cavalry, 
artillery and infantry to cross Grand River, for a 
distance of seventy to eighty miles above here, without 
pontoon trains, which neither the enemy nor our army 
in the west possess. Such large trains as ours, are 
unquestionably coveted prizes, which the enemy will 
probably organize expeditions for the purpose of 
capturing or destroying. As our trains will require 
strong escorts, it is easy to see that our troops will 
have no time to spend in idleness. We can of course 
depend upon the country here for nothing except fresh 
beef, and in a few weeks, grass for our animals. Since 
the enemy can hold no position north of the Arkansas 
Kiver, we have already seen indications that he is not 
going to remain inactive in this region during the 
spring and summer. 

Our troops to-day (14th) commenced building bake 
ovens, which indicates clearly enough Colonel Phillips' 
intention of permanently holding this place. These 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 215 

will be the first ovens we have put up in the field. 
They will not only economize the expenditure of fuel, 
but also enable the companies to save more from their 
flour ration than they could do by baking their bread 
by the old process ; besides the bread is better and 
considered healthier. We have men with us who 
were engaged in the bakery business before enlistment. 
Hence we shall probably have as good bread as is 
usually made at city bakeries. But we shall miss the 
butter and eggs which we were able to get quite often 
while in Missouri and Arkansas. If, however, we 
manage to keep on hand full rations we shall have no 
cause to complain about our fare. 

A detachment of ten men of the Battalion Sixth 
Kansas cavalry, and about fifty Indian soldiers, were 
sent out to-day (15th) in the direction of Maysville to 
meet our commissary train now due from Fort Scott. 
As it was expected to join us at Park Hill, and has not 
yet been heard from, some uneasiness is felt for its 
safety. We have been almost constantly on the move 
recently, and it is possible that the commanding ofiicer 
of the escort has stopped it at some point this side of 
Fort Scott for a day or two, for more definite instruc- 
tions as to where to join us. If instructions had been 
sent forward for it to join us here on the 13th, it 
would have come down on the west side of Grand 
River, instead of via Maysville on the State line road. 
We do not believe that there is a force of the enemy 
north of us of sufiicient strength to venture to attack 
the train. A flag of truce came in to-day from the 



216 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

Creek Indians concerning tneir coming in and joining 
our army. About fifty have already come in since we 
arrived here, and they express their willingness to do 
all in their power to establish law and order and com 
plete obedience to the authority of the United States, 
in their country. Those just in think that many others 
will come when assured of protection. Though I 
have not heard what kind of speeches Colonel Phillips 
makes to them, yet I suppose that he informs them 
that he has come here to afford protection to all those 
who are disposed to be friendly and loyal to the 
Government, and to make war even to the knife and 
from the knife to the hilt against its enemies ; that we 
are here not for the purpose of seeking vengeance and 
paying off old scores, but to establish justice and the 
harmonious relations of the people to the Government. 
They are no doubt informed that to ofier further 
resistance to the Government is sure to bring further 
desolation to their country and additional miseries to 
their homes. In his speeches to the different Indian 
delegations that have waited upon him, he has 
endeavored to give them good advice, which they will 
find it to their interest to carefully consider. 

We have information to-day (16th,) from a source 
deemed reliable, that the enemy are concentrating a 
force of four or five hundred men at Webber's Falls, 
about twenty-five miles below this post. As the point 
where they are gathering is on the south side of the 
Arkansas, and as it is not fordable below the mouth 
of Grand river, we may not be able to disturb them 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 217 

for a few days. With a river as large as the Arkansas 
between them, two opposing forces may continue as 
neighbors for some time. But barring this obstacle 
there would certainly be either a '^ fight or a foot race" 
very soon with an enemy not superior in numbers to 
our command, encamped so near us as Webber's 
Falls. 

Yesterday, the 17th, was given to festivities in cele- 
brating the event of hoisting the Union Flag at the 
military post of Fort Gibson, that it may float from 
the flag stafi" where it was hauled down in foul dis- 
honor soon after the breaking out of the war. This is 
the flrst time that the Stars and Stripes, the emblem of 
our nationality, have been hoisted on the post flag staff 
since the enemy took possession of the Government 
property here, and there were many whose affection 
for the Old Flag was so strong, that when its folds 
floated to the breeze they shed tears of joy. The Star 
Spangled Banner and other national airs were sung by 
half a dozen ladies and gentlemen — several of the 
ladies being wives of ofticers on a visit to their hus- 
bands. As an improvised choir they did well, and their 
voices sounded sweetly, the balmy air of spring being 
peculiarly favorable for music, instrumental or vocal, 
to produce a good effect. The solos, duets, and choruses 
were real treats, as we have had no music of any kind 
recently. Last autumn and winter when General 
Blunt's division was all together, we had two or three 
excellent bands and good music every day. The Ninth 
Wisconsin infantry, a German regiment, had perhaps 



218 MEMOIES OF THE REBELLION 

the best band in the division, and as they frequently 
encamped near the Sixth Kansas cavalry, I have often 
listened to it much delighted. 

It becomes my painful duty now to mention a serious 
accident that occurred during our celebration yester- 
day. While Major Henry Hopkins' battery was firing 
a national salute of thirty-four guns, one of the pieces 
just after it had been swabbed and the blank cartridge 
rammed home, went off accidentally before the ram- 
mer was fully withdrawn, and while it was still in the 
hands of the gunner. One of his arms was blOwn oif 
above the elbow, and the other hand w^as almost torn 
off, and is now in a dreadfully mutilated condition, 
and will probably have to be amputated in a few days. 
He was for an instant enveloped in a flame of fire and 
smoke, and is therefore badly burned about the body. 
The gun w^as pointed south, and I picked up, nearly 
two hundred yards from it, two fingers and several 
tendons. It is not likely that the poor fellow will re- 
cover from these injuries. An Indian was also fatally 
injured by a piece of the rammer. 

From my own observations during the last two years 
I am under the impression that the number of accident- 
al injuries in an army will foot up a larger percentage 
than is generally supposed. Few days pass that we 
do not hear of some soldier of this command receiv- 
ing a serious accidental injury incident to the service. 
Human foresight can never completely guard against 
accidents, even of the simplest kind. 

"We hope that the National Flag that we^. reverence 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 219 

and look upon with such devotion, will never again be 
hauled dow^n from the flagstaff at this post, by the 
enemy. A general, whose soldiers had mutinied, i& 
said to have expressed the belief that if he could only 
look the leaders in their eyes, he thought that they 
would return to their allegiance. So I believe that 
there are many rebels wlio, if tliey could but look 
upon our beautiful flag of the Union as its folds gently 
float to the breeze, would gladly return to their alleg- 
iance to the Government. 

The Creek Indians still continue to come in, and are 
generally anxious to enlist into our army. While the 
estimated number that will probably come would not 
make a regiment, nor even a battalion ; they might be 
enlisted into the service and assigned to the three Indian 
regiments of this command until they shall have been 
filled to their maximum strength. There is reason to 
believe such a course will be adopted by Colonel Phil- 
lips. As most of the men in the First and Second 
regiments are Creeks and Seminoles, it is likely that 
all recruits belonging to either of these nations, would 
prefer to be assigned to one or the other of these regi- 
ments. Their preferences will no doubt be respected a& 
far as possible. 

A party of about a dozen white men who claim tO' 
have recently deserted from General Marmaduke's 
command, came to our pickets this morning, and were 
brought into camp to day. They represent that the 
rebel leaders in Arkansas are displaying a good deal 
of activity in organizing their demoralized forces for 



•220 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

the spring and summer campaigns. They say that 
Oeneral Cooper will have command of the rebel forces 
in the Indian Territory, and that General Cabell will 
be assigned to the command of Western Arkansas, 
but that they will co-operate with each other as far as 
practicable. This all corresponds with the information 
which our spies have recently brought in. 

Our commissary tram of one hundred and twenty- 
five wagons arrived this morning (20th) from FortScott. 
The slight anxiety felt by some of our troops will now 
be at an end. It is estimated that the supplies received 
by this train will ration this command for upwards of 
a month. On account of some rumors that have been 
afloat for several days, a detachment of two hundred 
cavalry was sent out to escort it into camp. It will 
now be the business of the troops here to keep the 
country open between this post and the southern line 
of Kansas. And we feel satisfied that Colonel Phil- 
lips will not be unmindful of his duty in this respect. 
Colonel C. W. Blair, the commanding ofiicer at Fort 
Scott, will probably furnish escorts strong enough to 
guard our trains to Baxter Springs or E'eosho river. 
Should the enemy at any time throw a force between 
this post and either of those points, with the view of 
attacking a train. Colonel Phillips will reinforce the 
escort by troops from this division. But the main 
body of his troops will be required for active service 
in this vicinity in contending with the enemy in front 
and around us. 

This last train came down via Neosho, Missouri, 



ON THE BOKDER.-1863. 221 

but will return on the old Military road, which runs 
along on the west side of Grand Eiver. 

Those who came down with the train from Neosho, 
state that a large portion of the town was recently 
burned. It was not definitely known whether the 
fire was started accidentally, or by an incendiary. It 
was discovered after night, and had make such progress 
that it could not be checked with the means the people 
had at hand. Two companies of the Missouri State 
Militia have been stationed there since Colonel Phillips 
withdrew his Indian troops; but one cannot easily 
believe that there could be found among them an in- 
dividual who would deliberately attempt to burn a 
town of his own State; a town, too, which he is paid 
to protect. 

The report which reached here two days ago, that 
Fayetteville had been taken on the 18th instant by a 
rebel force of fifteen hundred men, under command of 
General Cabell, turns out to be untrue. Until more 
definite information reached here, some apprehensions 
were felt for the safety of that post. Dispatches have 
now been received, stating that our troops there under 
Colonel Harrison had a sharp engagement with the 
enemy under General Cabell, on the 18tli instant, 
which lasted two hours. The enemy were unsuccess- 
ful in the attack and compelled to retreat, leaving most 
of their killed and wounded on the field. From such 
inform^ation as I have been able to obtain, our losses 
were about thirty men killed and wounded, while the 
losses of the enemy were probably very nearly fifty.. 



222 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

Our troops had some slight advantage, as they fought 
part of the time from behind fortifications, and were 
on the defensive. The loyal Arkansas soldiers are rep- 
resented to have acted with distinguished bravery 
throughout the contest. Having defeated the enemy 
in this first important engagement, they will now feel 
confident of their strength, and in any future contest 
they may have, defend their position with greater 
stubbornness than if they had been unsuccessful. 

A spy was caught to-day (23d) near camp, dressed in 
a woman's suit. He is a young fellow with light hair, 
fair complexion, of a rather prepossessing appearance, 
and I should think not over sixteen years of age. When 
I saw him in the Provost-marshal's tent he seemed to 
"be badly frightened, in fact almost frightened out of 
liis wits. Two or three officers were putting questions 
to him in regard to his visiting our camp in disguise, 
tut his excitement had not sufiiciently subsided to en- 
able him to give rational answers. He seemed ready 
to confess anything asked of him. He showed that he 
was unaccustomed to l>eing goaded with questions of 
such a serious nature. From ancient times to the pres- 
ent day, it has been the practice of commanding gener- 
als of armies to hang spies immediately after being 
caught, so as to make it impossible for the enemy to 
gain any advantage from the information which they 
may have obtained. AYhat disposition will be made 
of this young man, has not yet been determined. Colo- 
nel Phillips, as commanding officer of troops in the 
field, has authority to order him tried by a drum-head 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 223 

court martial, and, if found guilty, hung within the 
next twenty-four hours. It is possible that his youth- 
ful age may save him from the death penalty at pres- 
ent, and that he will be turned over to the Department 
commander, for such punishment as he may deem 
proper. He claims to have been sent here by General 
Cooper, who is now encamped near Webber's Falls, 
for iJie purpose of getting information in regard to our 
strength and intentions in the near future. 

It was by the merest accident that he was detected. 
When several of our Indian soldiers first saw him near 
the limits of our camp, they thought that he was a 
white woman, although there are now very few white 
women in this country. They also noticed that his 
movements were peculiar, and not like those of a wo- 
man, and when they came towards him, he started to 
run, but in the chase they soon convinced him that his 
only safety lay in his absolute submission. His gar- 
ments were probably an impediment to his flight, but 
as our Indians are generally quite fleet of foot, they 
would have soon overtaken him anyway. 

If I were going as a spy into the eneniy's camp, to 
dress in a woman's suit would be about the last method 
I should think of adopting, even if I had as marked 
feminine features as some young men, which I have 
not. And as to the ti7ne for making such an adven- 
ture, I should prefer the night to broad daylight, par- 
ticularly if there was any one in the enemy's camp 
likely to know me. 

The engineers have surveyed and laid ofi* the 



224 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

ground for the new fortifications at this post. A line 
of hreastworks is to be thrown up to encompass the 
stone buildings on the bluff, commencing on the north 
side and extending around to the south side. The west 
side is a steep bluff running down to the water's edge 
of the Grand River. The area to be inclosed on three 
sides will be about ten acres. Details of men have 
been made from all the troops here, and ordered to re- 
port to the officer in charge of the w^orks in the morn- 
ing, with picks, shovels, &c. When there does not ap- 
pear to be any immediate danger from attack, soldiers 
do not usually like to work on fortifications. As the 
enemy are making no threatening demonstrations, an 
expression of dissatisfaction may now and then be 
heard from the men in regard to slinging the pick and 
shovel. The weather is beginning to get warm, and 
such arduous labor is not coveted. 

The picks and shovels have now been flying for 
three days, and the line of breastworks are rapidly as- 
suming their proper form. In examining the position 
to-day, I came to tlie conclusion that there is not an 
elevation so high as the one on which our works are 
being constructed, within a less distance than two- 
miles of us. To the east- and southeast, we could 
easily sweep the plain with our artillery. To the north 
and northeast, the enemy's infantry, should he make 
an assault, would have a better opportunity of ap- 
proaching near our works through the dense woods 
and broken ravines. But as we shall have an ahatis 
over a portion of this ground, we would be able to thin 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 225 

the ranks of the enemy, should he make an attack 
from this quarter, before he got through it, by pour- 
ing into his advancing columns, a constant stream of 
grape and canister. The heights on the west side of 
Grand River are too distant for an enemy to shell us 
with much effect with ordinary field artillery. In a few 
weeks therefore our position can be made quite a strong 
one. But the presence of General Cabell in the vicin- 
ity of Cane Hill a few days ago, with upwards of a 
thousand cavalry; and the force under General Cooper 
near us on the opposite side of the Arkansas River, in 
the vicinity of Webber's Falls, looks as if Colonel 
Phillips will be required to display great firmness and 
activity, to enable us to maintain our position here. 
As the -enemy have two generals operating to the south 
and east of us ; and as we may suppose that each Gen- 
eral commands at least two brigades, we have the pros- 
pect of being matched by superior numbers in a few 
weeks. According to a reasonable estimate we may 
conclude that they could, in case of emergency, con- 
<ientrate a force not much short of seven thousand men. 
This is fully twice the strength of our troops at this 
point. 

On the evening of the 24th, Colonel Phillips took a 
force of six hundred men, composed of details from 
the three Indian regiments, and the battalion of the 
sixth Kansas cavalry, and crossed the Arkansas River 
several miles below this post, and making a night's 
march, reached Webber's Falls early Saturday morn- 
ing, and at once commenced a vigorous attack on the 
15 



226 *" MEMOIRS OF THE REBELL*ION 

enemy's camp. They were taken by surprise, and fired 
but few rounds when they fled in disorder towards 
Fort Smith and North Fork town, where General 
Cooper's main force is encamped and organizing. We 
did not pnrsue them a great distance, as our animals 
were much fatigued from the night's march. The ac- 
tion was sharp for a few minutes, when the enemy 
broke, leaving on the field fifteen killed and as many 
wounded. We had one Indian killed and ten men 
wounded. But our most serious loss was the killing, 
or rather assassination of Dr. Gilpatrick, a special 
agent of the Government, who accompanied us on this 
reconnoitering expedition. After the skirmish was 
over, he was called upon by a rebel woman to dress the 
wound of a rebel soldier, who had fallen a hundred 
yards or so from where we halted. While performing 
this duty of mercy for a fallen foe, he was shot by a 
rebel from a concealed position, and he died immedi- 
ately afterwards. We all felt indignant that he should 
have been thus basely entrapped. We brought him 
back with us, and he is to be buried on Sunday with 
military honors. 

We captured a large quantity of camp and garrison 
equipage, flour, bacon, &c., and completely destroyed 
their camp. As it was not quite day-break when we 
charged into them, a good many fled in their night 
clothes. They perhaps thought that we would not 
venture to cross the Arkansas, as it has not been ford- 
able for many days, and even to-day came well up to 
the sides of our horses. It was a bold dash, and Colo- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 227 

nel Phillips deserves great credit for j^lanning and suc- 
cessfully executing the movement. This expedition 
will have a demoralizing effect upon the enemy, and 
perhaps retard his organizing to take the field against 
us. To that extent it is important. 

While we were absent on the reconnoissance to 
Webber's Falls, two rebel officers came into our camp 
here, under a flag of truce from General Cooper, in 
regard to exchanging prisoners. They were detained 
until our return.. We perhaps hold a few more rebel 
prisoners than they hold of Federal prisoners. They 
are authorized to oifer for exchange a certain number 
of our officers and enlisted men, for an equal number of 
their officers and enlisted men. These officers have 
been kept in close quarters since their arrival, and will 
be blindfolded when they are conducted beyond our 
lines. This precaution is deemed necessary to prevent 
them from gaining any information in regard to the 
strength and disposition of our troops at this post. 

The same day we left for Webber's Falls, Colonel 
Phillips sent out Lieutenant-Colonel F. W. Schaurte, 
second Indian regiment, with about five hundred men, 
in the direction of Ivans ville, a little town on the 
Arkansas line. Major Foreman, with four companies 
of the Third Indian regiment, a detachment from the 
battalion Sixth Kansas Cavalry, and a section of Hop- 
kins' battery, joined Colonel Schaurte beyond Park 
Hill. Colonel Harrison, commanding at Fayetteville, 
was also expected to join Colonel Schaurte near the 
State line. These troops were to attack the enemy 



228 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

near Cane Hill, if he seemed disposed to give battle. 
But after nearly a week of hard marching, the expedi- 
tion under Colonel Schaurte returned to this post, hav- 
ing had only a slight skirmish with the enemy. The 
troops were much fatigued and hungry when they 
came in. The last three days they were on less than 
half rations. The enemy under General Cabell, when 
they heard of the approach of our troops, immedi- 
ately packed up their baggage and camp equipage, and 
retreated towards Yan Buren. They w411, however, 
doubtless return again shortly, as our troops have now 
been all withdrawn from that section. They will not 
only return, but they will probably return and carry 
their arms still further north and west until they meet 
with resistance from our forces. 

Colonel Harrison, instead of joining Colonel Schaurte 
at the State line, abandoned Fayetteville, and retreated 
to Cassville, Missouri, a small town on the main road 
leading to Springfield. It is much regretted that 
Colonel Harrison did not display a little more nerve, 
and that he has felt the necessity of abandoning his 
post, for it leaves the Union people of northwestern 
Arkansas without any protection whatever. If his 
supplies were running too short to enable him to stand 
a seige of a week or so, and if he could get no assur- 
ance of reinforcements in the event of a seige, then 
there may be some justification for his action. The 
enemy have been reinforced since the engagement at 
Fayetteville on the ISth instant, and he may have felt 
that there was danger of being cut oft from our troops 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 229 

in Missouri. We hope that his withdrawal will be 
only temporary, and that he will shortly return, and 
wipe out this apparent blot upon his military record, 
A good many IJnion people in the vicinity of Fayette- 
ville had commenced to cultivate such tracts of land 
as their means permit, and without the protection of 
the Federal troops, they will hardly for the rest of the 
season be able to give proper attention to their crops. 
On the 30tli, information reached this post, that the 
enemy, considerably reinforced, returned to Webber's 
Falls, two or three days after we left, and are now 
driving out all the Indian families in that vicinity 
suspected of being in any manner friendly to the 
Union cause. A number of families have just come 
into our lines for protection, and they state that the 
rebels have burned their houses to prevent their re- 
turning to them. We might in the eyes of many justly 
retaliate by burning the property of rebels in the ter- 
ritory occupied by our troops, but this is not our pur- 
pose, to unnecessarily increase the hardships of wo- 
men and children, nor to destroy private property, 
except in cases of absolute necessity. Such cases have 
been extremely few as far as this command is con- 
cerned. 

We feel here that the Department Commander 
should not have permitted our troops to leave Fayette- 
ville, while there were several brigades in southern 
Missouri not very actively employed. 

On May 1st, Colonel Phillips reviewed his troops, 
on the open grounds near the Fort. He had in line 



2S0 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

upwards of two thousand men. The Indians, having 
recently been furnished with new uniforms, made a 
creditable appearance. But with their long, black hair, 
there is a marked contrast between them and our white 
soldiers, who generally have their hair cut rather short, 
besides it is several shades lighter than the Indian's 
hair. The Indian soldiers are in good condition, and 
though their arms are not the best, yet if handled to 
the best advantage, may be made quite effective, turned 
against the enemy. 



CHAPTEK XII. 

The author sent with dispatches to Colonel Harrison at Cassville, 
Missouri — The first night's march in a storm of thunder and 
lightning— The next morning on the battle-ground of Locust 
Grove — Account of the battle and of the capture of Colonel 
Clarkson's command — Passing over the ground of an exciting 
chase of last year — Camp in the forest — On the look out for 
the enemy — In Missouri— Arrival at Cassville — Detention 
at Cassville — The troops there daily expecting to be at. 
tacked — Large number of troops, including the State militia, 
in Southwest Missouri — Activity of the militia — The First 
Kansas colored infantry organized, and at Baxter Springs — 
Remarks on arming the freedmen — Many small tracts being 
cultivated in Missouri — By whom — On the march to Fort 
Gibson — A fight with Guerillas —Stopping in a lonely re- 
treat — Return to Fort Gibson. 

I have already mentioned Colonel Harrison leaving 
Fayetteville with his troops and marching to Cassville, 
Missouri. When the information first reached us, I 
suspected that Colonel Phillips was not entirely satis- 
fied with the movement. It has been generally un- 
derstood here that the troops at Fayetteville belonged 
to Colonel Phillips' districts, and would not be expect- 
ed to leave that station without his orders. 

Friday evening, May 1st, Captain William Gallaher, 
Assistant Adjutant General of the division, sent for 



232 MEMOIKS OF THE REBELLION 

me, and stated that he had an important service which 
he wanted me to undertake. He made out an order 
for my detail, and also for eight men to accompany 
me, and sent it to the commanding officer of the 
battalion Sixth Kansas cavalry. We were directed to 
report at headquarters at nine o'clock for more difinite 
instructions. Captain Gallagher then stated that he 
had important dispatches which he wanted taken to 
Colonel Harrison, at Cassville, Missouri, — a distance 
of about one hundred and fifty miles by the route we 
would be obliged to travel. He also said that we 
might consider ourselves in the enemy's country from 
the time we left Fort Gibson until we reached Cass- 
ville, as we had no troops stationed anywhere in the 
region through which we would be obliged to pass. 
We filled our cartridge-boxes with ammunition for 
our carbines and revolvers, and our haversacks with 
hard bread and bacon for five days, and put some 
shelled corn in the nose-bags for our horses, and re- 
ported at headquarters as directed, to the second. 
Captain Gallagher delivered to me the packages, gave 
us a few words of caution, and suggested that it would 
be safest to follow the road along the east side of 
Grand Kiver until we came to Lewis Ross's place near 
Grand Saline, some thirty miles above Fort Gibson. 
He then bade us good night, and we were soon beyond 
the limits of the camp, wending our way northward, 
on the road above mentioned. It was cloudy when 
we started out, and, during the night, thunder and 
lightning and rain banished sleep from our eyes. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 233 

Some of the great flashes of lightning seemed to fairly 
light up the woods as if they had been on fire. 
The heavy rolling of the thunder, with now 
and then a sharp clap, was grand; but some of 
the men thought that they should prefer to witness 
and hear it all in camp. The night was so 
dark and the road so dim that we gave the reins to 
our horses, and were guided by the general course we 
w^ere marching. None of us had been over this path 
before, and there was no pole star to inform us how 
far, at any time, we were deviating from our proper 
course. But when the storm clouds of the night had 
passed over and daylight came, we found that we had 
kept the most direct route, and that we were near Lo- 
cust Grove, where we had a fight with Colonel Clark- 
son's command, the 2d of last July, and captured him 
with one hundred and ten of his soldiers, nearly all of 
whom were white men. We also captured his bag- 
gage and supply trains, in all upwards of one hundred 
wagons and ahout three hundred animals. Colonel 
William Weir, Tenth Kansas infantry, who com- 
manded the expedition, marched us two days and 
nights, and we struck the enemy just at dawn — some 
of the brightest stars were still shining — and we had 
him surrounded before he knew of our presence. We 
reached their camp right on the heels of their pickets, 
so that they had no time to form in line and prepare 
for battle. It was a warm night, and only a few of 
them seem to have slept with even their trousers on, 
as they did not suppose we were within forty miles. 



234 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

In the engagement they lost about thirty men killed 
and wounded. Most of the killed and wounded were 
among those who attempted to pass through the open- 
enings where our lines had not quite closed up. We 
had only eight men wounded. After this affair the 
troops of the Indian Exj)edition had no organized 
force to oppose north of the Arkansas river. The 
prisoners were sent to Fort Scott, and the train and 
animals taken to our camp on Cabin Creek, a few 
miles from here on the west side of Grand river. 

The salt works near here have made this locality 
one of considerable importance for many years. Before 
the war large quantities of salt were taken from this 
place to various points in southwest Missouri and 
northwest Arkansas, and sold or exchanged for goods 
which the Indians required. "We passed several of the 
salt wells this morning, and they were flowing like 
fountains, the column of salt water in one instance 
extending five or six feet above the ground. The wells 
we saw were bored like artesian wells. We took a few 
moments to examine them, as it would afford our horses 
an opportunity to refresh themselves by rest and -graz- 
ing. Judging by the openings and the columns of 
water, we estimated that the bore was not more than 
three or four inches in diameter. If the supply of 
saline water is inexhaustable, this will likely be an 
important point some day. 

The country is perfectly deliglitful in this vicinity. 
The forest trees and the whole face of the landscape 
are robed in green. The sun shining above the van- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 



2:35 



ishing storm-clouds, lias inspired the birds to singing 
all the morning in an exceeding happy mood. We saw 
a number of species, some having very elegant torms 
and beautiful plumage. They can have matters all their 
own way in this region if they can avoid their enemies 
of the hawk tribe, and some wingless enemies among 
the lower animals, for there are now very few Indian 
families living in this section. When we halted this 
morning on a secluded spot near Locust Grove, to 
o-raze our horses and to allow the men to refresh them- 
selves by a short nap, we had not passed more than 
three houses with occupants, since leaving Gibson. 
The country seems as silent as a graveyard, except as 
to the songs of birds and the humming of insects. 
No sounds are heard from people plowing in the fields, 
or the yelping of hounds chasing the deer, qr of chick- 
ens cackling in the barnyard. As soon as it was light 
this morning we carefully examined the dim road for 
fresh horse tracks; but we saw none, which satisfied 
lis that the enemy had not crossed or been on our path 
since the rain. We did not know but that the enemy 
had sent out scouting parties to watch the movements 
of our trains, and that we might run into a detach- 
ment unless we were very cautious. As there is a 
good crossing of the Grand Kiver near Grand Saline, 
and as it is always fordable after a rise in the river, 
before any other point for miles above or below, we 
thought it would be the favorite point for the enemy 
to strike, should they have serious intentions of attack- 
ing our trains. 



^36 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

When we left Grand river at Grand Saline, we 
marched across the country in a northeast direction, 
with the intention of passing into Missouri near 
Scott's Mills, on the Cowskin river, in the southwest 
corner of the State. Our route for the greater part 
of the day was over a rough, hilly country, uninhabited 
by Indian families. "When night came we encamped 
near Lynch' s Mills on Spavin aw Creek, about sixteen 
miles below Standwaitie's Mills. At this place we 
saw one of our loyal Indians, who was at home with 
his family. He told us that, about a week ago, a party 
of ten loyal Indians, of whom he was one, had a fight 
with about an equal number of rebel Indians, a mile 
below this place, and that they killed half of the rebel 
party, but got four of their own men badly wounded 
in the affair. He spoke very good English, and 
seemed to be telling a straightforward story. A grain 
of allowance, however, should, perhaps, be made for 
exaggeration. But from the information which we re- 
ceive from time to time, there is no doubt but that 
such bloody contests are quite common in different 
parts of the l^ation. 

We were in this section last June with Colonel 
Jewell, of the Sixth Kansas cavalry. An incident oc- 
curred near here, which is worth mentioning, now that 
were are on the ground again. While we were en- 
encamped on Cowskin prairie we received information 
through our scouts that Colonel Standwaitie, with a 
force of four or five hundred Indians, was in this 
vicinity. Colonel Jewell, with about three hundred 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 237 

cavalry, was directed by Colonel Weer to make a re- 
connoLance to this point. We made a night's march, 
and late in the afternoon of the following day we 
heard that Standwaitie, with a small party of men, had 
i„st passed along the road we were on, only about an 
hour before. W.e pushed along with the hope of over- 
taking them, and had not marched many miles when we 
caught sight of him. He had stopped at ahouse onthe 
road to get dinner, and some of the party who had not 
dismounted, having heard the tramping o our horses 
feet, gave the alarm, and they mounted their horses 
and galloped away just as we were coming m sight 
Colonel Jewell directed our bugler to sound the gal- 
lop, and we chased them several miles, but we soon 
found that it was useless to keep it up further, as our 
animals were too much jaded to overtake their fresh 
horses. Standwaitie was on his way to jom Colonel 
Clarkson at Locust Grove, and was taking it leisurely 
But, as we continued our march, we reached Locust 
Grove first, and captured Clarkson before he had time 
to receive reinforcements. 

Sunday morning, May 3d, as soon as the earliest 
rays of the sun streaked the east and the stars were 
disappearing, we were up and on the march. The day 
was lovely, tut the country seemed like a vast wi der- 
ness, as no sounds greeted our ears or.°V°t« me tour 
sight, which indicated that we were withm the liimts 
of civilization. We reached Scott's Mills just before 
sundown, having met with no one during the day. 
men we struck the State line road, a few miles fur- 



238 MEMOIES OF THE REBELLION 

tner south of the Mills, we examined darefullj again 
for horse tracks. "We saw some tracks, but they 
seemed to have been made early in the morning, or, 
perhaps, the day before. The tracks showed that the 
horses were shod with shoes different from those which 
we use. The locality of Scott's Mills has been noted 
for bushwhackers since our troops have occupied south- 
west Missouri, and I thought it best to use such vigi- 
lance as would leave no opportunity for the enemy to 
surprise us. We did not stop at the Mills, but con- 
tinued our march up the valley of the CowskinKiver 
until ten o'clock, when we turned aside from the main 
road into a thick woods, and dismounted, and picketed 
our horses on a small open spot where there was fair 
grazing. After having spread our blankets U23on the 
ground, and left two men on guard, we threw ourselves 
down and slept soundly for five hours. Monday morn- 
ing,May 4th, we were on the march about three o'clock. 
]^othing occurred during the day, except that we 
passed a good many more houses with families living 
in them than the two previous days. We were con- 
stantly on the lookout, however, feeling that we might 
be fired upon from the woods or bluffs at almost any 
moment. But we were not. We encamped a few 
miles east of Pineville, and on the evening of the 5th 
we reached Cassville, and delivered the dispatches and 
packages to Colonel Harrison, commanding the post. 
From conversations with some of the officers and sol- 
diers of the First Arkansas cavalry here, it does not 
nppear that he has any intention of returning to Fay- 
etteville soon. 



ON THE BOEDER— 1863. 239 

TTe find that we shall be obliged to remain here 
perhaps a week to await dispatches from Springfield. 
Colonel Harrison will probably endeavor to justify 
his action before the Department Commander. We 
think that he has laid himself open to charges and 
sj)ecifications and a trial by Court Martial. But the 
detention is fortunate for us in some respects; for if 
we should start back immediately, it is doubtful 
whether all our horses would be able to make it 
through to Fort Gibson. A week's rest, with such at- 
tention as we shall endeavor to give them, will enable 
them to recuperate considerably, and we hope suffi- 
ciently to carry us through when we get ready to 
start back. 

The troops here are daily expecting to be attacked 
by the enemy, but from what I can hear I don't believe 
that the officers have such definite information in re- 
gard to the strength and movements of the enemy, as 
to warrant the belief that any immediate danger need 
be apprehended. As we have just passed over 
a region of one hundred and fifty miles unoc- 
cupied by our troops, it is perhaps safe to say 
that it is also unoccupied by any forces of the 
enemy other than bands of guerrillas and bush- 
whackers. Colonel Harrison, it would seem, is need- 
lessly nervous, and his nervousness may be slightly 
contagious. 

I find that we have a good many troops in South- 
west Missouri. Colonel T. T. Crittenden, of the 
Seventh Missouri Militia cavalry, has eight hundred 



240 MEMOIKS OF THE REBELLION 

men and two pieces of the Second Indian battery, 
stationed at IS^ewtonia, twentj-iive miles northwest of 
Cassville. From all accounts he is an active and en- 
ergetic officer, and is doing good service for the State. 
Tliere are also fortifications and a block house at New- 
tonia, so that the principal part of the cavalry force 
stationed there can be kept in the field. Two com- 
panies of the Eighth Missouri State Militia cavalry, 
are stationed at Neosho, under Captain Milton Burch, 
one of the most efficient officers in Southwest Mis- 
souri. There are also several companies stationed at 
Mount Yernon, thirty miles northeast of this place, 
and at Springfield there are probably between three 
and four thousand effective troops. 

The Missouri State troops are well armed, mounted 
and equipped, and should be, and I believe are, effect- 
ive troops in the service of the State. They could, no 
doubt, maintain order in this State and suppress guer- 
rilla warfare, if our volunteer forces w^ould take more 
advanced positions and prevent invasion of the State 
by an organized army of the enemy. 

It was reported the day after our arrival, that Colonel 
Cloud, with a force of two thousand men and a battery 
of light artillery, was to leave Springfield immediately 
for this point. But he has not put in an appearance 
3^et. He has probably marched in some other direct- 
ion. There does not seem to be any hope of being 
able to accompany our troops as far as Fayetteville on 
our return. 

We- hear every day of the Militia scouting the 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 241 

country and skirmishing with bushwhackers. At a 
distance one might think that they have very little to 
do. But they are constantly moving. The command- 
ing officer of a post, for instance, receives information 
of the presence of a party of guerrillas in a certain 
locality so many miles to the southeast, and of another 
party at another place so many miles to the south- 
west. A detachment of cavalry must at once be sent 
out in each case. They may oi they may not find 
the enemy. 

Thus they are kept employed, performing a great 
amount of service with very small results, if we take 
into account the operations of the troops from only a 
single post. If, however, we look at the operations ot 
the Militia forces over the State, we find that the re- 
sults are not trifling. Taking into account the num- 
ber of men in active service, it is claimed that their 
percentages of losses in killed and wounded, are as 
high as the percentage of casualties among volunteer 
troops in the field. While this may not be quite true, 
I have no doubt that their annual losses foot up a high 
percentage. 

Information has been received here that the First 
Kansas Colored regiment has completed its organiz- 
ation, and is now stationed at Baxter Springs, under 
command of Colonel James M. "Williams. Kansas 
now has the honor of organizing the first Colored regi- 
ment for service in the war. This is highly gratifying 
and in perfect harmony with the spirit and tradition 
of her people, who have ever been on the side of jus- 
16 



242 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

tice in regard to the question of slavery. It is surely- 
:fitting that they should take the lead in organizing the 
late slaves for the defence of the Government and for 
perpetuating their own freedom. It will now not be 
many months before we shall hear of the organization 
of Colored regiments all over those sections of the 
South occupied by our troops. I have no doubt btit 
that they will give a good account of themselves 
when they come to meet the enemy on the field. The 
impropriety oi arming them against their late masters 
may be talked of by those who would fight the enemy 
with kid gloves, and without trying to hurt him ; but not 
by those who are in earnest about carrying the war 
through to a successful conclusion, by every legitimate 
means recognized by civilized nations. There will 
perhaps always be in society, even of the most advanced 
type, a conservative party that will reluctantly take a 
step forward in the moral and social progress of their 
time. Its function is a proper one, and it is no more 
than we should expect, to find this spirit of conservat- 
ism displayed at such a time as the present. But the 
great common sense of onr people must relegate that 
phase of it which opposes the arming of the freed - 
men to the region where all the barbarisms which we 
have outgrown, are buried. Many of us may live to 
see the day when many of those who are now doing 
their best to keep social and moral progress from break- 
ing over ancient landmarks, will wonder how it w^as 
that they held such views. 

But to return to the colored troops at Baxter Springs. 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 243 

Though they may be of some service at that point in 
affording protection to our supply trains, it is to be 
regretted that they were not sent on to Fort Gibson, 
as the situation is getting such that they are much 
needed there. It is also reported that they are building 
a small fort at Baxter, and that they have already had 
several skirmishes with Livingston's band of guerillas, 
whose operations are chiefly confined to that section. 
Stationed inside of fortifications properly supplied with 
water and rations and ammunition for a month, two 
companies of infantry ought to be able to hold the 
place against any force of guerrillas likely to attack 
it. The guerrilla leaders in that section declare that 
they will not take the colored soldiers nor the oflicers 
under whom they are serving, as prisoners of war. If 
the enemy really intend to murder all colored soldiers 
and their oflicers who fall into their hands, they cannot 
justly complain if the colored troops retaliate the first 
opportunity, which might not be long delayed. Men's 
evil actions frequently return upon them with com- 
pound interest, when least expected. And so it may 
be in this case. The enemy may be inventing the 
means of his own destruction. Seeing that it is j)os- 
sible that they are turning their swords against their 
own breasts, and that they may suffer most by the 
barbarous acts which they propose to put into effect, 
they may reconsider the matter. 

In addition to the infantry, there should be two com- 
panies of cavalry stationed at Baxter to scout the coun- 
try thoroughly. The enemy, it is not likely, will care 



244 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

much for a small infantry force at that station, as they 
can play around it even in sight, so long as they keep 
out ol range of the infantrymen's muskets 

General F. J. Herron's two divisions of the Army 
of the Frontier, which were with us at the battle of 
Prairie Grove, have been ordered to join General 
Grant's army now besieging Yicksburg. These troops, 
during the last three months, have been operating along 
the southern counties of Missouri, but recently they 
moved to the vicinity of Rolla. General Herron is a 
gallant officer, and commands troops that have already 
made a glorious record. They are now entitled to have 
Prairie Grove inscribed upon their victorious banners, 
and in a few months they will probably have Yicks- 
burg added. 

A detachment of the State Militia had a skirmish 
with a squad of guerrillas on the 9th at Gad Fly, a 
small place about half way between Cassville and 
Kewtonia, resulting in the wounding of three of the 
enemy, and the capture of their horses, saddles and 
equipage, together with two negroes. Slavery is 
unquestionably getting to be an expensive and 
troublesome luxury, when the masters are obliged to 
take their slaves around with them through the woods 
and over the hills, as they move from place to place. 
When it comes to this any man of sound mind ought 
to know that slavery is dead. There are not many 
grown up negroes in this section, who are not half idiots 
or old and infirm, who will not likely soon relieve their 
masters of the trouble of pulling them around from 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 245 

place to place, by running away and joining their 
friends. Nearly all the negroes of this section gained 
their freedom when our troops came through here a 
year ago. A few, particularly old ones, and children 
who had no parents, however, are still with their 
master's families on the homesteads. 

Since we came into Missouri I have noticed that a 
good many farms are being cultivated. Of course 
there are very few families that will be able to till all 
the land which they once had under cultivation, for 
they cannot keep the animals and get the hands neces- 
sary to do it. They have, in many instances, used the 
rails not destroyed by the armies to inclose such tracts 
as they will be able to put under cultivation. We saw 
a number of fields the other day where the corn was 
coming up and was an inch or so high. There will be 
very little wheat raised in southwest Missouri this 
season, for during the season of sowing last autumn, 
the country was too much overrun by the armies to 
permit the people to work in the fields. On most of 
the farms the people have not finished planting their 
corn yet. In nearly every case where we saw them at 
work, the daughters or mothers were dropping the 
corn, as they call it, and the boys too young for the 
war, were plowing it in or covering it with hoes. It 
the season is good, a surplus of corn will be raised, 
particularly in the neighborhoods of posts garrisoned 
by our troops. As no family is permitted to keep 
much stock, very little of their corn will be fed to 
their own animals. But all they have to spare will 



246 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

doubtless bring a fair price if sold to our troops, pro- 
vided it is not taken before being sold. Fruits are 
quite an item in the foodstuffs consumed by the people 
of this country ; and there is good prospect of an abun- 
dant yield of apples, peaches, pears, &c., this season. 
When our division was encamped near this place last 
October, many of the company messes exchanged their 
surplus rations of coffee and tea for dried apples and 
peaches, honey, &c. Nearly every family formerly had 
from half a dozen to several dozen stands of bees. 

The women of southwest Missouri surely deserve 
mention for their noble conduct in sticking to their 
homesteads and maintaining themselves and their chil- 
dren in the absence of their husbands and fathers and 
brothers in the war. If I were gifted with elegant 
expression, nothing could afford me greater pleasure 
than to pay them the highest possible tribute for their 
truly womanly characters under the most trying cir- 
cumstances. With their youthful sons and daughters 
they raise their own foodstuffs, and in many instances 
spin and weave and manufacture most of their own 
clothing. A good many raise small patches of cotton, 
from which they spin and weave their cotton goods, 
and keep a few sheep, the wool from which they make 
their woolen clothing. There are men now and then 
found of loquacious tongues, who speak disparagingly 
and lightly of these people because they wear " home- 
spun clothing," and do not appear quite so polished as 
those bi ought up in polite society. In all this I see a 
grand simplicity and beauty, for the women are 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 247 

extremely modest. Their fair laces are set well back 
under their sunbonnets, and no one who loves to speak 
the truth would claim that they are forward and bold 
in their actions. It is often remarked that they are 
so shy of strangers that they will not ask our officers 
for pay or receipts for forage, horses, or commissary 
supplies taken from them. They generally have pleas- 
ant, honest expressions, but often bearing a tinge of 
sadness. Though surrounded by adversities of every 
kind, they endeavor to preserve their complexions. 
Probably no section containing the same number of 
women, would show a larger proportion who possess 
as good figures and features and complexions. I have 
observed them closely, for often on scouting expedi- 
tions and on the march, I have, in company with 
others, rode up to the well or spring to fill our can- 
teens with water, or to the gate to make enquiries. 
Hence I have seen them as they appeared at home in 
their every -day life. 

Well, this is 13tli day of May, and the last day we 
shall lounge around the old brick Court House at Cass- 
ville. The dispatches and mail have arrived from 
Springfield ; our horses have rested and fared moder- 
ately well in regard to forage, and we now leave for 
Fort Gibson. We have found the loyal Arkansas 
soldiers very clever; have had full rations while stop- 
ping with them, and our haversacks replenished for our 
return. When we arrived here, we felt sure that four 
days on hard bread and bacon had not quite kept us 
up to our usual standard of strength and activity. 



MEMOIKS OF THE KEBELLION 

Going without the good strong coffee which we have 
in camp, no doubt had a depressing effect upon our 
nervous systems. Though we each took a quantity of 
ground coffee in our haversacks, we did not take the 
trouble to kindle a fire every day and make coffee on 
the route. Every soldier has perhaps noticed how a 
good cup of coffee, alter a night's marching, tones up 
his nervous system and makes him feel a livelier inter- 
est in everything around. We sometimes fill our 
canteens with coffee before starting out on a recon- 
noissance of several days; but it is not satisfactory to 
drink it in this way. We miss that fine flavor or bou- 
quet which we get when it is taken fresh from the 
camp kettles. 

There is no further talk of the enemy attacking the 
troops at Oassville, nor do they propose to return to 
Fayetteville until they are reinforced from Springfield. 

Nothing of interest occurred the first day of our 
return march, but the second day, between Pineville 
and Scott's Mills, we saw eight or ten armed men on 
horse-back coming towards us, dressed in butter-nut 
suits, whom we supposed were bush-whackers. As 
soon as they saw and carefully observed our blue uni- 
forms, they fired a volley at us from their shotguns, 
making tlie brush rattle around us, and then instantly 
wheeled about and galloped back a hundred yards or so 
and took a road which crosses ours at nearly right 
angles. We threw our right hands to our carbines and 
raised them, and discharged a volley at the flying horse- 
men, but as they Ave.re upwards of a hundred yards away 



ON THE BOKDBR— 1863. 249 

when we fired, we could not determine whether the balls 
from our carbines took eifect or not. Upon firing we 
dashed forward, but when we came to the point where 
the road they took crossed ours, they had disappeared 
in the dense woods. We continued our march, kept 
our eyes open, but did not exert our horses, as we were 
desirous of preserving their strength in case of an 
emergency, as a long journey yet lay before us. After 
passing Scott's Mills we did not take the same path 
through the Nation that we came up on, but one about 
ten miles to the South of it, as it would shorten our 
route considerably. We then struck Grand Kiver about 
eight miles above Grand Saline. The grass had grown 
astonishingly since we came up, and we had no trouble 
in getting good grazing for our horses wherever we 
stopped. 

On the way up and returning, we made it a rule to 
stop in some lonely retreat at about ten o'clock, and 
rest and graze our animals for two or three hours, and 
then resume the march and stop again at five o'clock 
for two hours, resume the march and halt again at ten 
at night, and start the next morning between three and 
four o'clock. Our animals stood this long and tedious 
journey quite well, and in the course of a week will be 
able to take their places beside other cavalry horses on 
the march or on the scout. We arrived at Fort Gibson 
on the afternoon of the 16th, having been absent up- 
wards of two weeks. It was a real pleasure to see the 
familiar faces and shake the hands of our comrades. 
We were congratulated on our safe return, as the 



250 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

enemy have moved up in sight of the Fort, and are 
getting quite bold of late. There will be a hiatus in 
my account of the operations of this command during 
the last two weeks; but nothing has occurred particu- 
larly worth mentioning, and we have had an oppor- 
tunity of glancing at operations along the border. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

The enemy occupying the heights south of the Arkansas River in 
sight of Fort Gibson — Picket firing across the river all day 
long — Strength of General Cooper's force — He is preparing to 
capture Colonel Phillips' supply train — Name of post of Fort 
Gibson changed to Fort Blunt — Colonel Phillips contending 
single-handed with two Generals of the enemj^ — Hard ser- 
vice for the cavalry — Capture of horses and mules from the 
enemy — Activity in the enemy's camp — The enemy kill the 
Federal pickets, and capture a good many animals — The bat- 
tie — Enemy driven from the field and pursued — Recapture of 
some animals — Large force of the enemy cross the Arkansas 
River, and march to meet the Federal supply train — Convales- 
cent soldiers coming in from Tahlequah — The troops move 
inside the fortifications at Fort Gibson — The engagement at 
Rapid Ford, Sunday afternoon — Colonel Phillips intended the 
■^movement only as a demonstration. 

After returning to my post of duty at Gibson, I 
found that the enemy had become much bolder than 
when we left on the night of the first instant. They 
have moved all the forces from the neighborhoods of 
Webber's Falls, North Fork and other points in the 
Indian Territory to the heights on the south side of the 
Arkansas River, nearly opposite the post, and not more 
than five or six miles away. During the entire day, 
at intervals of a few minutes, we heard the firing be- 



:252 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

tween their pickets and ours across the river. This 
^skirmishing between the picket lines of the two armies 
has been going on several days. Three or four of our 
soldiers have been killed and wounded, and it is be- 
lieved fully as many of the enemy, as we have the best 
arms. The heavy timber on both sides of the Arkan- 
sas affords both parties a convenient shelter from the 
■effects of each other's arms. A man cannot show 
himself many seconds without being fired upon. His 
chances of being struck depends upon the distance 
which separates him and the foe, the marksmanship of 
the party firing, the gun and its range. Our carbines, 
by raising the sights to the outside limit, will carry a 
ball to the mark about a thousand yards. The Arkan- 
sas Kiver is not quite that wide at any point within 
ten miles of here. The enemy, therefore, after they 
get the approximate range of our carbines, will not 
likely very often venture inside of this range. If they 
•do they are sure to be brought down. General Cooper 
seems to have command of all the rebel troops opera- 
ting against us, and they are reported to be composed 
mainly of Texans and Indians, estimated at from five to 
seven thousand men, with one or two batteries of artil- 
lery. Our scouts report that some two days ago they sent 
out two strong reconnoitering forces of cavalry; that 
one of these forces crossed the river below here for the 
purpose of going up on the east side of the Grand 
River, and that the other force crossed the Arkansas 
and Yerdigris Kivers, some seven or eight miles above 
this post, for the purpose of going up on the west side 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 253^ 

of Grand River, with the view of forming a junction 
near Cabin Creek, and attacking our supply train,, 
which is expected down from Fort Scott in a few days. 
If the force really went up on the east side of Grand 
River, we must have passed very near it some time^ 
yesterday when on the way here with dispatches and 
mail from Cassville. Everything indicates that we 
shall have a lively time about here in a few days. 
Whether verj large forces of the enemy have crossed 
the river yet or not, there are certainly strong reasons 
for believing that they are making preparations to 
attack our train at some point above here. The heavy 
firing along the river the past few days is doubtless 
intended as a feints to occupy our attention, and to 
prevent us from reinforcing the train's escort. But 
they will find that Colonel Phillips is not so easily to 
be thrown off his guard. 

The name of this post has been changed from Fort 
Gibson to Fort Blunt, in honor of Major General James 
G. Blunt, our division commander of last winter, but 
who is at present commanding the District of Kan- 
sas. If Fort Blunt is not to be abandoned almost as- 
soon as named, the General should use his influence in. 
getting reinforcements sent down here at once, and in 
having Colonel Phillips made a Brigadier General. Af- 
ter the Colonel has, by continual skirmishing with the 
enemy, marched his forces down here and took posses- 
sion of this country, and held it against such odds, and 
so much further in advance ot all other Federal troops 
in the west, it would be manifestlv unjust to send an. 



254 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

officer down here who would rank him. Nor do we be- 
lieve that if the W^ Department could see the pres- 
ent state of things in their true light, that it would 
permit him to be robbed of his hard-earned honors; 
but that it would send him reinforcements, and a com- 
mission appropriate to his command. The command 
to which he has been assigned is really a recognition 
of his ability and merit. I have already mentioned that 
since he captured this isolated station in the enemy's 
country, he has had two of the enemy's generals to 
contend with, one of whom may be a Major General. 
The active service during the winter and sprio^, 
with inadequate forage, has put our cavalry horses in 
bad condition for the service now required of them. 
All the animals in camp we are obliged every day to 
send out on the prairie, in the vicinity of the Fort, 
under guard, to graze. They are generally sent out 
in several herds to different localities. The plain is 
now pretty much denuded of grass for a mile or so of 
camp, so that the horses must be taken somewhat be- 
yond this limit. They are taken out every morning 
at daybreak and driven in at night. Perhaps nearly 
half of our cavalry horses are kept out in this way, 
while the other half are used by our troops in watch- 
ing the movements of the enemy, on reconnoissances, 
&c. While animals will fatten on grass when they 
get it in sufficient quantities and are not annoyed by 
flies, it alone does not afford such nutritive and 
strength-giving qualities as will enable our horses to 
do hard service, such as is required of them. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 255 

A detachment of about four hundred of our^cavalry 
which were sent on a reconnoissance on the 18th, in the 
direction of the Creek Agency, on south side of the Ar- 
kansas, captured about sixty head of horses and mules 
from General Cooper's command. This bold movement 
of our troops on the south side of the river,will probably 
prevent the enemy from sending as large a force as he 
had intended to attack our supply train. Should they 
leave their camp guarded by only a small force, Colonel 
Phillips might take it into his head to take a force of 
cavalry and cross the Arkansas at the Kapid Ford 
five miles below this post, and make a dash on it, with 
the view of capturing or destroying it. Though they 
probably keep a small force near the ford, we could 
probably shell them out, and cross without serious loss. 
But we cannot aiford to make a movement that will 
endanger our train. From the roof of one of the 
buildings inside our fortification, with a field glass, 
we can see very near the enemy's camp. The clouds 
of dust that we saw this afternoon, at several points 
on the opposite heights, clearly indicates that he is 
making some important movement. A large cavalry 
force was in motion, but we could not determine the 
direction they were marching. The river is now 
quite low, and there are several points, both above and 
below us, where they can ford it. It is, I suppose, 
difficult for Colonel Phillips to determine the nature 
of their present activity ; whether it means to attack 
us here, or to go up the country west of us, and attack 
our train due in a few days from Fort Scott. 



256 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

To-da.y, the 20th, I have been out nearly all day 
with our troops. This morning, just before nine 
o'clock, several of our men came in as fast as their 
horses could carry them, and reported that the enemy 
were firing upon our pickets, and had killed several of 
them, together with a number of herders, and were 
driving away one or two herds of horses and mules. 
The bugles were instantly sounded, and inafewmom- 
ments Colonel Phillips had nearly all his force, con- 
sisting of cavalry, dismounted men, and two guns of 
Captain Hopkins' battery out on the plain, about a 
mile east of the fort. He immediately formed his 
line and sent out a detachment of cavalry to the north- 
east of his position as skirmishers, and soon discovered 
that the enemy, in considerable force, had formed 
under cover of a rather dense woods, about a half-mile 
almost directly east of us. The section of artillery 
brought out from the fort was directed to open fire 
upon the enemy. After a half dozen rounds of shells 
had been thrown into the woods where we first saw 
them, and our cavalry had opened on the left, I could 
see from our position, near the section of artillery,, 
that, from the clouds of dust raised in the timber, that 
the enemy were in rapid movement. We moved for- 
ward with the two guns and dismounted men, and our 
cavalry pressed them o;i the left. Iti the meantime 
all the horses and mules not captured had been driven 
into camp, and our cavalry was being rapidly rein- 
forced. When our cavalry was sufiiciently strength- 
ened by the arrival of troopers from the fort, mounted 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 25T 

on liorses just brought in, the line on the left was 
formed, and the bugles sounded the charge. At the 
same time the artillery, which was supported by the 
dismounted men, had moved up nearer the timber, and 
opened with shell. The enemy had no sooner drawn 
our first volley at a short range than they fled in the 
direction they came from. We heard that a shell from one 
of our guns burst in the midst of a body of rebel Indians, 
killing and wounding quite a number, and throwing 
the others into a panic. It is often remarked that In- 
dians have a greater dread of artillery than white 
troops. Our cavalry followed them beyond Greenleaf 
Prairie, ten miles southeast of the fort, and recaptured 
a good many of our horses and mules which they had 
captured in the morning. Their rear was exposed to 
the fire of our cavalry during the entire afternoon, and 
they must have suffered considerable loss in killed and 
wounded. They left on the field only eight men, but 
we have understood that they took a number along 
with them who were mortally wounded. We lost four- 
teen men killed, and had about as many wounded. 
The engagement lasted about an hour and a half, but 
some time was consumed on the skirmish line before 
we ascertained the exact position of the enemy in the 
woods. They had taken up a position near the road lead- 
ing to Greenleaf Prairie, and probably intended to 
draw our troops into an ambuscade. But Colonel 
Phillips was not to be deceived, by rushing headlong 
after a pretended flying party of the enemy, to be fired 
upon by a massed force in the woods. It was entirely 
17 



258 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

due to his coolness and skill in handling his troops 
that enabled us so quickly to put the enemy to flight. 
It is a time now that our movements should be con- 
ducted with great caution, as the enemy have not only 
a larger force than ours, but it is composed mainly of 
-white troops. 

That he should have succeeded in coming so near us 
unexpectedly is due to the fact that they killed most 
of our pickets along the road they came in on. They 
killed, captured, or cut off all our men on the two out- 
side picket stations, but when they came to the third^ 
not more than three miles from camp, our j^icket 
guard hurried to the fort and reported the approach of 
the enemy. It is supposed that they crossed the river 
near Webber's Falls and made a night's march. "With 
General Cabell's division operating along the Arkan- 
sas line, and General Cooper's force directly in 
our front within four or five miles of us, it is impossi- 
ble for Colonel Phillips, with the force at his disposal, 
to guard all the approaches to this post, except within 
a radius of a few miles. This raid of the enemy has 
cost us heavily in animals. Our loss will not fall 
much short of three hundred horses and mules, and 
perhaps even more, including the losses of the Indian 
soldiers. The four companies of the battalion of the 
Sixth Kansas cavalry lost probably nearly half of their 
horses. As the men of these companies owned their 
horses as private property, and have been paid for their 
risk and use by the Government, the loss to each in- 
dividual owner will be quite a hardship. Though they 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 259 

may soon be in funds, as the paymaster is expected to 
come down with the supply train to pay off the troops 
of this division, it will be difficult for them to find in 
this section suitable animals for remounts. Indian 
ponies could perhaps be had, but in my opinion they 
are only suitable for Indians, and would answer only 
as temporary remounts for the white soldiers. 

One of our Indians, a herder or picket, who was killed 
by the enemy, had his clothing set on fire and his body 
burned to a crisp. He was brought in this afternoon 
w^ith the other killed and wounded, and he presented a 
o-hastly sight. It was a barbarous act on the part of 
the enemy, and we had supposed that the rebel troops 
operating against us w^ere commanded by officers who had 
too high a sense of honor to permit such an outrage. I 
am unable to see what object they had in view in perpe- 
trating such fiendish treatment on the dead. If they 
think that such acts will make our men regard them 
with greater terror, they are mistaken. It was pro- 
bably done by the rebel Indians. Our pickets at the 
Rapid Ford ia.Ye miles below the fort, reported to-day 
(22d) that the enemy fired wooden balls at them from 
the opposite side of the river nearly all day. This 
would indicate that they want to keep up a noise to 
occupy our attention, and that they have more powder 
than lead to waste. We can see very clearly that they 
desire to draw our attention to points on the river 
below here as much as possible, while their most im- 
portant movements, are directed to another quarter, to 
the west side of Grand river, for the purpose of cap- 
turing our commissary train 



260 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

On the 22d our scouts brought in information that 
a large force of the enemy crossed the Arkansas above 
the mouths of the Grand and the Yerdigris rivers, and 
are believed to be moving northward. Whether it is 
their intention to continue their march northward 
until they meet our supply train, or whether they 
intend to take up a strong position above here and 
await its arrival, to make the attack, is not definitely 
known. Colonel Phillips is watching their movements 
closely and will use his force here to the best possible 
advantage to prevent the capture of our train. He has 
to-night sent out nearly all of his available cavalry to 
meet the train which is due here Sunday night, the 
24th. The enemy seem to be almost as well-informed 
of its movements as we are, from the preparations 
they are making to effect its capture. The clouds of 
dust we saw again to-day west of their camp shows 
that they are displaying great activity. There is not 
now a reasonable doubt but that we shall have to fight 
to get our train in. But as our troops have not yet 
been defeated, we will not give it up without a hard 
contest. 

A number of our sick and convalescent Indian 
soldiers who have been at Tahlequah for some time, 
came in to-day, fearing an attack from the enemy at 
that place, since it is known that rebel scouts were re- 
cently seen in that vicinity. It is provoking that we 
have not a larger cavalry force in this section. The 
enemy, however, would not likely attack a hospital, 
but they might go there and take away with them the 



ON THE BOHDER— 1863. 261 

convalescent patients, unless those in charge of the 
hospital should spread the report that a number of small- 
pox patients are still there, which I am under the im- 
pression is a fact. I don't know that we have had any 
troops stationed there since we came here; and there 
must be some good reason why the enemy has not 
shown himself in sight of that place, as it is about 
twenty-five miles from this post. But he would just 
about as likely wish to capture a herd of horses with 
glanders as a hospital filled with small -pox patients. 

Sunday, May 24th, was a day of considerable excite- 
ment and activity with us. We knew that the threat- 
ening movements of the enemy during the last four or 
five days, meant something; and that the time had come 
when we must act or suffer inglorious defeat. Colo- 
nel Phillips is not an officer who can remain inactive 
while the enemy are displaying activity about him. 

On Saturdary (23rd) our pickets along the banks of 
the river, having first ascertain the range of our 
carbines and carefully estimated the distance across the 
river, fired upon and killed three of the enemy's patrol 
guards on the opposite bank. Our soldiers managed 
to fix up some cartridges which contained a little more 
than the usual quantity of powder. At any rate the 
charges were sufficient to send the balls flying over 
the river and right into objects at which the carbines 
were aimed. There is not a better cavalry arm in the 
service than Sharp's carbine. We have some adven- 
turous spirits in the battalion of the Sixth Kansas cav- 
alry, and I believe that if it were possible they would 



262 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

contrive some means to send a oall two miles, if noth- 
ing but a river separated ns from the enemy. 

There was an alarm in camp Saturday night, caused 
by a detachment of the enemy making an attempt to 
capture our pickets at one of the outside stations. In 
view of the situation and to guard against a possible 
surprise, Colonel Phillips ordered all the troops en- 
camped on the southern and eastern slopes of the hill, 
inside of the fortifications. We took our tents down 
and packed everything up, and in less than two hours 
were inside the fortifications. Some few of the soldiers 
thought it useless, while most of them were j)er- 
fectly satisfied to trust to the judgment of our com- 
manding ofiicer, as he was in a position to know very 
nearly the exact situation. The thought of being 
somewhat crowded, it is true, was not a pleasant fea- 
ture; but nearly every one was willing to forego a little 
freedom of movement for the sake of greater safety. 
So this morning when the sun had climbed the moun- 
tains, which, from our more elevated position, looked 
lovely fringed with green, the parapets were bristling 
with the guns of Captain Hopkins' battery. Yarious 
rumors were afloat all the morning concerning the 
movements of the enemy, but nothing was definitely 
known. As he is known to have received considerable 
reinforcements recently, some thought that he might 
feel strong enough to divide his force into two divis- 
ions, one to attack our train, and the other our troops 
here in the fort. Colonel Phillips, who no doubt com- 
prehends the situation, at three o'clock this afternoon 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 263 

took about five hundred men, infantry, cavalry and 
one section of Hopkins' battery, and marched down to 
the Rapid Ford, five miles below here, with the view 
of making a demonstration against the enemy's camp. 
I desired to witness the action, and also went along. 
We marched leisurely, and reached the ford about four 
o'clock. There had been no firing between the pickets 
during the day, though it is not likely that they 
had kept quiet on account of religious scruples. 
We saw the enemy on the opposite bank in con- 
siderable force. They did not seem alarmed at our 
presence, and were quite willing to show themselves 
some distance back in an open space. As the river bank 
on the north side, as well as on the south side, was 
thickly clothed with brush and woods, they did not see 
the section of the battery when we commenced form- 
ing in line. While they were surveying the situation, 
Captain Hopkins estimated the range, and in a mo- 
ment more, bang went a shell from one gun, and then 
from the other, right into a small group of the enemy. 
The place became too hot for them. We could plainly 
see the shells burst near the party, and their instant 
scattering; but we could not see whether any of them 
were struck or not by pieces of bursting shells. A 
number of men were seen near a small house, on the 
road, several hundred yards beyond the opposite ford. 
Two or three shells were thrown near them, and they 
immediately disappeared. Presently, for a hundred 
yards or so above and below the ford, they opened fire 
from behind fallen trees and the thick woods, but the 



264 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

balls from their small arms fell spent near ns or dropped 
into the river. We returned several volleys, aim- 
ing at the places where we saw the smoke rising from 
their discharged muskets. I fired a dozen rounds from 
my Sharp's carbine, waiting every time for the smoke 
to rise, from some point on the opposite bank. Cap- 
tain Hopkins now commenced shelling the woods along 
the opposite bank, and tlie enemy's firing ceased. 
They sheltered themselves from our shells by getting 
behind the trunks of fallen trees. Colonel Phillips, 
now at the head of his cavalry, followed by the infan- 
try, filed along down into the river, with the apparent 
intention of marching right across. The river bed on 
the north side was perfectly dry, the channel running 
near the opposite bank. We continued to move for- 
ward until we reached the middle of the stream, when 
the enemy opened a volley upon us, wounding two or 
three men. We returned the fire, but with not much 
advantage, as we had to guide our horses in the strong 
current which was now flowing up to their flanks. The 
heavy volleys of musketry made a good many horses 
unmanageable. The infantry, however, who were still 
on the sand bar, returned the fire vigorously, and with 
better effect, so that the enemy kept back a few yards 
from shore. Colonel Phillips presently turned back, 
and we occupied for some time the dry river bed on 
the north side, and kept up a steady firing for half an 
hour. In the meantime our twelve pounders had been 
steadily throwing shot and shell into the woods. 

After this demonstration, which lasted nearly three 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 265 

hours, the whole force, except a guard left at the ford, 
returned to the fort. We shall probably know in a 
few days what effect the demonstration has had with 
the rebel forces. Colonel Phillips displayed great 
courage and coolness in his exposed position. The en- 
emy's bullets flew around him as thick as hail. 



CHAPTER XIY. 

The enemy makes a night attack on the Federal supply train- 
Gallant charge led by Colonel Phillips, and total route of the 
enemy — Only a sutler's wagon partially plundered — The 
enemy had another force which failed to co-operate — The pay- 
master paying off the troops — The Government should adopt 
a system to enable officers and soldiers to send their money 
home — Activity noticed in the enemy's camp again — The 
Arkansas River rising — Friendly conversations between Fed- 
eral and Rebel Pickets — The Federal supply train returns to 
Fort Scott with a heavy escort — Engagement between Living- 
ston and the colored troops at Baxter Springs — The enemy 
anxious to know if the colored regiment is coming down — A 
woman takes one of the enemy's horses and comes into the 
Fort— Colonel Phillips to be re-inforced — Skirmish near Park 
Hill— Stand waitie's Indians in the northern part of the nation. 

After returning from the Rapid Ford yesterday 
evening, and getting our suppers, and resting a few 
hours, we started out again to meet our train. While 
marching along during the night on the old military 
road upon which the train was coming, we saw several 
fresh trails, the prairie grass having been tramped down 
flat by horses' feet, showing that the enemy were mov- 
ing in several divisions, doubtless with the intention 
of attacking simultaneously from several quarters, 
the front and flanks, or front and rear of the escort. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 26T 

Several of us got off our horses and carefully inspected 
one trail, and easily distinguished the directions they 
had marched. Some ten or twelve miles out our de- 
tachment formed a junction with the troops guarding 
the train. The train probably had about two hundred 
wagons in all, and moving in the closest order possi- 
ble, stretched out a distance of more than a mile. From 
the time we joined it the road ran over a broad 
prairie, until we should get within three or four miles 
of the fort. We marched with a detachment of about 
one hundred cavalrymen, say a quarter of a mile in 
advance of the escort just in front of the train, with 
detachments of cavalry at convenient distances from 
each other on both flanks, and with a strong rear 
guard. Skirmishers were also kept out a half mile on 
each side of the road, with instructions to keep up 
with the advance guard. We were moving along^ 
quietly, and approaching the timber on Grand River 
about five miles northwest of the fort, and, perhaps, 
nearly an hour before day-break, when we heard the re- 
port of a musket, and then three or four more shots. "We 
saw the flash from the musket before we saw the enemy 
or heard the report. It was then silent for a moment, 
but the next moment we saw our skirmishers and ad- 
vance guard falling back. Closely following them we 
saw, by the dim light of the stars, the long lines of the 
enemy filing over a ridge in the prairie a few hundred 
yards off. Orders were immediately given for the 
teams to change to two abreast, as this would shorten 
the line of wagons we were required to defend. In- 



268 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

strnctions were also given to teamsters not to leave 
their teams under any circumstances. The enemy 
continued to advance, and when some two hundred 
yards off, seemed to occupy nearly all the visible hori- 
zon upon the prairie, south, east and west of us. One 
thousand cavalry, when not marching in close order, 
cover a large field, particularly at night, and are likely 
to be overestimated in numbers. Our lines were 
quickly formed, and when the enemy approached 
within a hundred yards of us, we opened fire upon 
them. They promptly returned a volley. We con- 
tinued to pour into their ranks volley after vol- 
ley, which soon threw them into considerable disorder. 
They soon rallied, however, and made a few feeble 
efforts at charging us, but did not come nearer than 
fifty yards of the troops with whom I was acting, for 
our firing was conducted with great caution and deliber- 
ation. Several other divisions which they sent to make 
attacks at other points, were equally unsuccessful. It 
was a grand sight to see the flashes from the long 
lines of muskets and carbines. Colonel Phillips formed 
his troops into a kind of oblong square, which inclosed 
the train. The two short sides of the square were 
made quite strong, and when the enemy made an ef- 
fort to break either of the long and weak sides, we 
cross-fired him, and all his efforts were fruitless. 
Nearly half of our troops fought dismounted, which 
enabled them to fire with greater precision. We held 
the enemy in check in this manner for upwards of 
:an hour, and until towards daylight, repul- 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 269 

sing him in every attack, when Colonel Phil- 
lips determined to take the offensive, and at the 
decisive moment ordered the bugle sounded and led 
his troops to the charge. We moved forward with a 
shout, and in a few moments completely routed the 
enemy all along the line. The main body we pursued 
several miles in the direction of the Yerdigris River, 
firing into their rear every opportunity. Other 
detachments fled in other directions. They left twenty- 
six dead on the field. Our loss was seven or eight 
men killed, and perhaps tw^enty -five or thirty wounded. 
As soon as the enemy had been driven from the field, 
the train was set in motion, and arrived at Grand 
Eiver opposite to the fort just after sunrise. During 
the day one or two wagon loads of the enemy's dead 
were brought in for burial near this post. We heard 
through our pickets along the river, that the enemy 
boasted of their intention of getting their Monday 
morning's breakfast out of our rations. If this really 
was their boast, and they brought no rations with them, 
they must have returned to their camp hungry and 
disappointed. They did, however, capture and plun- 
der one sutler's wagon. The teamster for the sutler 
seems to have got frightened and left his team, which 
became separated from the train and wandered about 
on the prairie. 

We received information through our scouts, that 
the enemy had another strong force above us on Grand 
River, which failed to co-operate with the force that . 
engaged us in the morning. So far as we can find out. 



270 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

demonstration at the Rapid Ford, Sunday evening, 
in front of General Cooper's camp, caused liim 
to change his plans in regard to the point where 
he had intended to attack our train. The force 
which fought us in the morning, either returned 
to defend and save their camp after starting out, or 
remained in camp longer than they had intended on 
account of our threatening attitude in that direction 
Sunday evening, thus preventing them from carrying 
out the pre-arranged plan of forming a junction with 
the force north of us at a certain point and at a certain 
liour Monday morning. It does not seem reasonable, 
and w^e do not believe, that the enemy deliberately 
planned to attack our train within sight of our fortifi- 
cations, where we might quickly reinforce it with 
nearly all the troops of this post. Colonel Phillips 
certainly deserves great credit for the able manner in 
which he has baffled and defeated the enemy, who have 
made such great preparations for capturing our train — 
a prize which they would have highly valued. 

It would be difficult to point out a finer movement 
in military manoeuvers, as having actually occurred, 
than that which Colonel Phillips executed to save his 
trains; and were he in a section where military corres- 
pondents are swarming around headquarters like they 
are around the headquarters of our eastern armies, he 
would be lauded as a real hero. Less brilliant achieve- 
ments and less distinguished bravery than he has 
shown on several occasions during the last week, have 
been considered sufficient in the cases of other officers 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 271 

to earn them promotion. He has shown himself to be 
remarkably fertile in resources in an emergency. 
At such times most men lose their heads. 

The enemy are reported to have had upwards of fif- 
teen hundred men in the engagement, but I am in- 
clined to think that they had at least two thousand 
white soldiers and Indians, comjDosed of Texan s, Choc- 
taws and Cherokees. Though they seem to have been 
well-informed in regard to the movements of the trains, 
perhaps through Livingston's guerrillas, operating in 
the vicinity of Baxter Springs, they were disappointed 
in the strength of the escort. Had they succeeded in 
capturing or burning the train, we should have been 
obliged to abandon this post, as we could have issued 
full rations only for a day or so longer. Indeed, of 
some articles we have already been obliged to issue 
less than the full allowance. This country could af- 
ford no subsistence, except fresh beef; and all our 
other supplies would be exhausted before we reached 
the Kansas line. 

The paymaster, who came down with the train, 
commenced on the 2Tth paying off the troops at this 
post. Many of the officers and soldiers here have not 
been paid for eight months, and, of course, payment 
at this time will be quite acceptable to everyone. A 
good many of our white soldiers, who have families, 
generally find some means of sending nearly all their 
salaries home soon after pay day. Many others would,no 
doubt, send their money north were it not for the 
danger of losing it. If a soldier puts his money in 



272 MEMOIES OF THE REBELLION 

an envelope and seals it, and sends it by a friend to 
his family, liis friend may get captured, or killed, or 
lose it, or be subjected to some great delay. And down 
liere,' where we are so much isolated from the rest of 
the world, the mail is not regarded as a lit and proper 
medium for the transmission of valuable packages, 
such as money. A soldier can ill aflbrd to lose five or 
six months of his small earnings. It would be a great 
convenience to the officers and soldiers of our armies 
if the Government should adopt some system by 
which those desiring to do so could send their money 
to their families by check. When men carry their 
money around in their pockets, and have the slightest 
disposition to gamble, they are liable to be drawn into 
this immoral habit again — particularly when they 
have little else to occupy their minds. Since quite a 
proportion of our white troops lost their horses by the 
recent raid of the enemy, and by being worn out in the 
service for want of forage, we have an unusually large 
number of men subject to continuous camp life. And 
several times, while taking a stroll on the outskirts of 
the camp, I have noticed more than a half dozen 
small groups of men, in pleasant, shady spots, engaged 
in playing " Chuck Luck." They were all betting, 
generally in small sums of money A gum or rubber 
blanket is usually spread upon the ground, and three 
or four men sit down upon it, with dice and dice-box, 
and bet on the dice thrown. This affords excitement 
and kills time, which is a burden to men, who, for 
months, have been actively employed in scouting and 



ON THE BOKDER— 1863. 273 

marching. Loaded dice are now and then heard of, 
and when discovered generally result in a row. Other 
parties bet on games of cards. Some of those who 
are rather sharp gamblers, claim to have fleeced their 
comrades and some of the Indians out of more money 
than a soldier receives from the Government for six 
months' salary. The gambling cannot be easily broken 
up, for parties caught in the act of playing may claim 
to be playing for amusement. 

We have noticed again to-day, from the roof of the 
large stone building on the bluff, with a spy-glass, un- 
usual activity in the enemy's camp. What it means 
we do not yet know; and at present we do not feel 
any great anxiety in regard to it. We are now in a 
condition our troops would rather like them to at- 
tack us ; and unless they come with an overwhelming 
force we should fight them outside our fortifications. 
But they doubtless know that it would be useless to 
attack us here, since we were able to rout them the 
other morning in an open field, when they had an op- 
portunity of choosing the position and time of attack, 
and were free to maneuver as they pleased. 

On the 28th the Arkansas river commenced rising 
rapidly, so that the enemy will not likely be very ac- 
tive on the north side for perhaps a week or so. They 
have no steam ferry boats, nor any other kind of boats 
fit for crossing the river, that we have heard of,between 
Fort Smith and their present encampment. And since 
we destroyed their steamboats at Yan Buren last De- 
cember, it is not probable that they have had much 
18 



2Ti MEMOIES OF THE REBELLION 

river transportation on the Arkansas above Little 
Kock. Though this is the season when navigation on 
the river is best, neither party is able to use it to ad- 
vantage. A steamboat plying on the river in the ser- 
vice of one party would be a target for the artillery and 
small arms of the other. Below Fort Smith, for, per- 
liaps, nearly two hundred miles, the enemy might ply 
steamboats with comparative safety from attack by 
our forces. But over that section they have very little 
to transport, as the main army is in the neighborhood 
of Little Kock. 

The present rise is due almost entirely to the flood- 
gates having been opened in the mountains. Such lo- 
cal rains as we have had recently have not, probably, 
peceptibly affected the volume of water flowing in 
the Arkansas, above the mouth of Grand river. The 
spring rise of the Arkansas is almost as regular as the 
rise of the Nile. 

If we had pontoon bridges now, since our troops 
are buoyant with life and confident in their strength, 
and have full rations for nearly a month, we could an- 
noy the enemy and doubtless drive him from his pre- 
sent position. To have full rations and know that the 
larder is well filled, or that the commissary has abund- 
ant supplies on hand, gives strength and courage to 
the soldier. It takes good food and plenty of it to 
keep up a strong vigorous current of blood through 
its natural channels. 

The enemy's pickets and ours along the river are 
getting more tolerant of each others' presence. They 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 275 

agreed on a temporary truce on the 28tli, and ap- 
j^roached each other at a narrow point on the river, 
and talked across the water in a quite friendly man- 
ner. They had another conference on the 29th in- 
stant, and talked over the engagement of Monday 
morning pleasantly, and inquired of each other about 
friends in the two armies. But while parties are talk- 
ing to each other under truce at one point on the 
river, they are firing upon each other at some other 
point. As nothing substantial can be gained by this 
continuous firing across the river, it will probably 
cease altogether soon. It has now been going on im- 
til there is getting to be very little novelty in it. 

Our commissary train started back to Fort Scott on 
the evening of the 30th, and crossed Grand Elver twelve 
miles above this post, on account of its being too high 
to ford in this vicinity. Nearly all the cavalry here 
have been ordered to escort it as far as Baxter Springs 
or Neosho River. When this duty shall have been 
performed, the troops belonging to this division will 
return to this station. "While it is not likely that the 
enemy would make a very great efibrt to capture or 
destroy our empty train returning, they would doubt- 
less make some effort to destroy it, if they found that 
it had only a feeble escort. And we, from informa- 
tion received through Indians who have been gather- 
ing whortleberries in the mountains, are not sure 
that they have not already a considerable force above 
here on a kind of expedition of observation. 

Information also came from Baxter Springs on the 



276 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

31st of May, that a portion of the colored regiment 
stationed there under Colonel Williams, recently had 
a hard light with Livingston's guerillas, and lost about 
twenty men killed. It seems that Livingston made a 
raid on the place, for the purpose of driving off the 
horses and mules kept at that station, and was in a 
measure saccessful. The animals, it is stated, were 
being herded on the prairie near the post where graz- 
ing was best, by a small number of colored soldiers, 
who were suprised when the rebels dashed upon them. 
When we first heard of the colored infantry being 
stationed at Baxter Springs several weeks ago, I re- 
marked of the great need of a cavalry force at that 
point. One company of infantry is worth just about 
as much there as an infantry regiment, in contending 
with the guerillas of that section under Livingston. 
And very few animals can be kept there unless they 
shall be fed within the limits of the camp. And 
none are required at the station, except mules for the 
regimental teams. 

A scouting party of the enemy was seen on June 
1st, near Green Leaf, about eight miles east of this post. 
They are supposed to be apart of Standwaitie's rebel In- 
dians, and to be moving in the direction of Tahlequah 
and the northern part of the Cherokee Nation. As all 
that part of the Nation adjacent to Arkansas is unoccu- 
pied by our troops, they may be permitted to remain 
in it several weeks undisturbed. Our cavalryis now 
so much occupied with escort duty to our supply 
trains, and in watching the movements of the enemy in 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 277 

this immediate vicinity, that Colonel Phillips is un- 
able to send out a force to pursue every detachment of 
rebels moving northeast of us. 

A negro man came into our lines on the 2d, from 
the rebel camp on the opposite side of the river, and 
he says that they claim to have upwards of six thou- 
sand men. He was taken prisoner on the 20th ultimo 
by the enemy, when they made the raid and drove 
away so many of our animals. They were much elated 
over this affair, but much disappointed in not being 
able to capture or destroy our supply train. They 
questioned him a good deal about the strength of our 
force, and wished to know if the colored troops were 
really coming down as reinforcements. He says that 
the thought of having to meet on the field, and on 
equal terms, the colored soldiers, makes them quite 
indignant. But a man is a man, black or white, and 
his being black does not prevent him necessarily from 
being valuable on the field. They affect to think that 
our government is hard pressed for soldiers when it 
feels the necessity of accepting the military service 
of the recent slaves. But we may observe that the 
enemy will perhaps find out, before this contest is 
over, that the recent slaves will feel as much interest 
in fighting for their freedom as our white soldiers 
have in fighting to maintain the integrity of the gov- 
ernment. It may also be remarked that there are 
many of us who believe that there can be no perman- 
ent union without the permanent freedom of the late 
slaves. Many who at first scouted this idea, are be- 
ginning to take a similar view. 



278 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

It seems Livingston wrote General Cooper just be- 
fore our supply train came down, that the colored 
regiment would accompauy it as an escort from Bax- 
ter Springs. He urged that preparations be made for 
capturing the whole outfit. The enemy, therefore, 
when he attacked the train near here on the 25th ulti- 
mo, were somewhat disappointed in not finding it 
guarded by an escort of colored troops; and now 
afiect to believe that we have no colored soldiers en- 
listed into the service. Before the summer is over, 
and we continue to be as near neighbors as at present, 
they will likely become abundantly satisfied on this 
point — that is, that we have a regiment of soldiers as 
black as ebony, and that they can go through the in- 
fantry manual as handsomely and with as much ease 
as perhaps any of their own troops, and that if they 
have an opportunity of seeing them, they may see 
them with bright blue uniforms, and if coming into 
line, with muskets and bayonets glistening beautiful- 
ly but terribly. Colonel Williams has given much 
attention to carefully drilling his regiment. We hear 
that the colored troops are quite anxious to come into an 
engagement with the enemy, and that they think they 
would prick his tender white skin with the points ot 
their bayonets. The few contests they have had in the 
vicinity of Baxter Springs with the enemy, show that 
they are not lacking in bravery. 

While a detachment of rebel Indians who were on 
their way to Hilter Brand's Mills in the northern part 
of the i^ation, stopped to plunder the house of a fam- 



ON THE BOKDER.-1863. 279 

ily near Talilaqiiali yesterday, one of the women of 
the house mounted one of the enemy's horses, and 
came on here and reported their movements to Col- 
onel Phillips. Such heroic action on the part of 
a loyal woman of this territory is surely highly com- 
mendable. Her name should be preserved in the gal- 
lery of Heroic "Women. With a little presence of 
mind, the loyal families living in the country might 
often do very much toward keeping us advised of the 
movements of the enemy. It is also probable that 
there is a good deal of reliable information brought 
in to Colonel Phillips concerning the movements of 
the enemy, by people living in the country, that we 
never hear of. 

Our prospects are beginning tolook a little brighter. 
Colonel Phillips has received a dispatch from General 
Blunt, who is now at Forth Leavenworth, urging him 
to hold this post, no matter at what cost, and that he 
will immediately send him reinforcements. We don't 
believe that Colonel Phillips has had any intention of 
abandoning this post, so long as his supplies came 
through safely. We can fight while we have anything 
to eat. But if the commanding General of the De- 
partment had not decided to do something to assist us 
in keeping the country in our rear free of the enemy, 
so that our supplies can reach us, the thought of fall- 
ing back from this section would no doubt have to be 
seriously considered by Colonel Phillips in the course 
of a month or so. But a month's time may change 
the aspect of things, not only in this section, but 



280 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

throughout the country. It is not, I suppose, so 
much the question of ability to hold this post, but the 
question of ability to hold a larger portion of this 
country that concerns Colonel Phillips most. We do 
not know the number of troops General Blunt will 
have in his new command, but I do know that he is 
an officer who will not be content to remain inactive in 
the rear and allow his sword to rust, while there is an 
enemy in front. He is, every inch, a fighting Gen- 
eral. 

A small party of our Indian soldiers had a skirmish 
with a detachment of Standwaitie's men near Park 
Hill, June 5th, and had two men killed, and two seri- 
ously wounded. The enemy are reported to have also 
had several men wounded. Ambulances were imme- 
diately sent over to Park Hill to bring in the killed 
and wounded. Our scouting parties have been in that 
section very little recently. It is reported, also, that 
the rebels shot one of their own men, because he en- 
deavored to save the life of one of our Indians. It has 
been suggested, however, that this story be taken with 
a grain of allowance. Our loss in this instance is 
probably due to the fact that our Indians were not quite 
as vigilant as they might or should have been. Small 
detachments of our troops should know by this time 
that when they are out of sight of our camp they are, as 
far as their safety is concerned, in the enemy's coun- 
try, and liable to surprise at any moment. 

Several of our Indian soldiers, who have had per- 
mission to visit their homes in the northern part of 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 281 

the Nation near Maysville, have just returned, and re- 
port that the enemy have a force of upwards of one 
hundred men in that section, murdering the loyal In- 
dians, and committing all kinds of depredations. This 
force of the enemy crossed the Arkansas River near 
Webber's Falls, and marched up through the Nation 
near the Arkansas line. As complaints have been com- 
ing in for several days of their depredations. Colonel 
Phillips has determined to send a force of two or 
three hundred cavalry in pursuit of the rebels. That 
will soon put an end to the little reign of terror. It 
is desirable to afford all the protection possible to those 
loyal families who are endeavoring to live upon their 
homesteads. And since Colonel Phillips has had com- 
mand of the Indian Territory, it can hardly be said 
that the enemy has had even a transient possession of 
any portion of it. 

The enemy killed two of our pickets on the night of 
the 7th, within less than three miles of this post, by 
sneaking upon them in the dark. They seem to act 
upon the assumption that anything is fair in war. It 
is supposed that they intended to prepare the way for 
making another raid upon our animals, as soon as they 
should be sent out with the herders the next day. The 
night and day picket stations should be at different 
points. But if they had it in view to make another 
raid for such a purpose, they must have given it up 
for some reason, for a detachment of our cavalry sent 
out to-day several miles beyond the picket station 
where the men were killed, returned without having 



282 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

found any signs of the enemy. As two of our men 
escaped from the outside picket station, and came in 
to the next most distant station on the road leading 
from the post, the rebels perhaps thought that what 
they had done would be reported to Colonel Phillips^ 
headquarters before our animals should be driven out 
to graze. When it becomes necessary for the men of 
an outside picket station to leave it, they should fall 
back upon the next interior station and await the 
approach of the enemy; but in the meantime it is the 
duty of the non-commissioned officer in charge to 
send a messenger in to ' headquarters, post-haste, to 
report what had already taken place. If the enemy 
should continue to advance and attack this second sta- 
tion, the non-commissioned officer in charge of it 
should send another messenger as swiftly as possible 
to his commanding officer, with such information as he 
has been able to gain of the enemy's movements. The 
courier should also be instructed as he starts on his fly- 
ing errand to cry out at each of the stations he passes, 
" Men ! up and at your posts, the enemy are advanc- 
cing! " Each station should detain the enemy as long 
as it can with safety do so. But of course if the offi- 
cer in charge of it discovers the enemy advancing in 
strong force, he should not deploy his men in such 
manner as to make their capture or destruction an easy 
matter. If it should be a light advance guard of the 
enemy approaching, a well directed fire of the pickets 
will, perhaps, in most instances, stop their progress 
until the main force comes up. In the presence of an 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 283 

enemy picket duty is full of danger to the soldier, and 
if he relaxes his vigilance while on such duty, it may 
be not only at his own great risk, hut he may also en- 
danger the safety of the entire command to which he 
belongs. He should, therefore, be impressed with the 
responsibility of his position. Colonel Phillips has 
such an arrangement of picket guards, that it would 
now be almost impossible for the enemy to approach 
nearer than three or four miles without alarming our 
camp. 



CHAPTEE XY. 

An agreement in regard to the cessation of picket firing— Mostly 
.young men in the army— They have no Alcestis to die for 
them — General Cooper's army moves back twenty miles, 
perhaps to find better grazing — A rebel reconnoitering force 
west of the Fort— General Cabell's force near Cincinnati— 
The Indians harvesting — The wheat crop good, what there is 
of it — Major Foreman after Standwaitie — Engagement on 
Green Leaf prairie — The enemy finally driven from the field 
— Federal and Rebel pickets in swimming together — The 
Federals exchange cofiee for tobacco— Desertion of rebel 
•soldiers — Rebel discipline believed to be more severe in some 
respects than the Federal — Remarks on flogging and severe 
"discipline — Major Foreman with six hundred men sent to 
■meet Federal supply train— The enemy preparing to attack it 
•again— An Indian prophet and the superstitions of the 
Indians. 

On June 9tli some sort of an agreement was arrived 
at between General Cooper and Colonel Phillips, by 
which the pickets of the two ojDposing armies along 
both sides of the river shall cease firing at each other 
as much as possible. This to my mind is a very sensi- 
ble arrangement, for very little is accomplished by 
banging away all day long at each other, as if the 
two armies were skirmishing preparatory to going 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 285, 

into action. We can sometimes hear from this post 
the volleys of small arms at different points along the 
river, as if the two forces were actually approaching 
each other in line of battle. If either party should 
attempt to cross the river, then it would of course be 
perfectly proper for the other party to fire upon them. 
But I do not apprehend that the firing will entirely' 
cease immediately, as it will be easy for those of rest- 
less dispositions on either side to find some pretext for 
firing an occasional shot. Picket duty is very monoto- 
nous, and the young men like to do something occasion- 
ally for excitement. Perhaps it is needless for me to 
specify and emphasize the young men, for among our 
white troops I believe that over one-half of the enlist- 
ed men are between the ages of twenty and, thirty 
years. We have quite a number under the age of . 
twenty, counting myself among them. It will there- 
fore be seen that we have a good deal of the spirit of . 
youth among us; so much indeed that there is always 
some one ready to undertake almost any adventure 
that it is possible to propose. It is well enough to 
have a good deal of such esprit de corps in an army, 
if it is properly guided by older and cooler heads. " 
But there is a thought that comes into my mind in 
regard to the great number of young men who have 
enlisted into our armies. It is this: If the war con- 
tinues a few years longer, and it is as destructive of 
young men and men under middle age as it has already 
been, will not this great loss of young men just grow- 
ing into manhood, and men just commencing to assume 



286 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

the duties of citizens, be seriously felt throughout the 
country for the next few generations? l^o one I think 
can doubt but that most of the strong, healthy and 
vigorous young men who are full of patriotic pride and 
feel a deep interest in their country's welfare, if they 
have not already, are now enlisting into the army. 
What proportion of these young men will return to 
their homes sound and healthy as they left them? 
Perhaps only a small proportion. The blood that 
courses the veins of these men is the kind of blood 
that should flow through the veins of the children of 
the rising generation. The patriotic spirit which ani- 
mates these young men, is the kind of patriotic spirit 
which should animate the children of the future of this 
great country. The nation is surely making a great 
sacrifice, but the principle involved is a great one, and 
when we take into account the benefits that must 
accrue to future generations if our arms are crowned 
with success, as they must be, I believe that it will be 
admitted that the prize is worth much of the best 
blood of the country But the noble sacrifice of the 
heroic dead or living should not be regarded lightly, 
nor soon forgotten by the rising generation. Many of 
us may wish that we could have been born a generation 
or so later; but as we are here we should not endeav- 
or to escape the responsibility, if we are true to our- 
selves, of doing our best to leave a desirable form of 
government — an ideal form — to those who shall come 
after us. And moreover some of us may reasonably 
hope that we shall escape the enemy's arms and the 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 287 

sickness of the camp, and enjoy for a time, at least, that 
desirable existence wliich the war is being waged to 
secure. But each of us that attains to a ripe age, as 
the years pass by and his thoughts turn to the scenes 
of the war, will remember with sadness that his com- 
pany left a comrade upon this field and another upon 
that. And those of us whose heads are now filled with 
youthful thoughts will be crowned with hoary hairs, 
and instead of bounding over the plain as now, a staff 
will be used to assist locomotion. What a mystery is 
life! 

We come to the final remark, that our young soldiers 
who are cut off when life is sweetest, and going down 
to their graves by the thousand almost daily, have no 
Alcestis to die for them. But they have proved them- 
selves as generous as Alcestis, for they have laid down 
their lives for the living and unborn millions of their 
race. If life on the average is desirable or worth liv- 
ing, what an immensely greater amount of happiness 
there might be if the aged, who have but a short term 
of years before them, could die for the young. But 
the gift of life scarcely anyone desires to part with, 
though he knows he can retain it only for a short 
period. The old will never be sacrificed in war that 
the young may live the natural periods of their lives^ 
The strongest and best must always do the fighting. 

Information was received at this post on the 10th, 
that General Cooper's command on the south side of 
the Arkansas river has moved back about fifteen 
miles. Two women who brought this information 



288 MEMOIRS OF THE KEBELLION 

claim to have been detained in the camp of the rebels 
about a week ; but they do not complain of any dis- 
courteous treatment. They think that the enemy 
were about to make some important movement, and 
that their detention was to prevent them from advis- 
ing us anything concerning it. Even if the main- 
body has left, it is probable that a force deemed suffi- 
cient to guard the fords of the river and to watch our 
movements, will remain. As they have no particular 
point to hold, we can see no forcible reason why they 
should be content to stay in camp all summer within 
sight of us. But the movement they are reported to 
have just made, does not seem to be an aggressive one, 
though it may turn out to be such. It is possible that 
they have moved their camp to a place where they 
will have better grazing facilities for their animals.. 
"We need not suppose that their horses will stand hard 
service on grass any better than ours. If their ani- 
mals have any advantage over ours, it is probably due 
to the fact, that they were kept at places during the 
winter where plenty of hay and corn were put up for 
their use. Their horses may have had some slight 
advantage too, by having had good grazing several 
weeks earlier than ours. As the country in their rear 
towards Texas, is not infested with union guerrillas^ 
as the country in our rear is with rebel guerrillas ; 
and as their supply trains, if they have any, are not 
annoyed by our troops, their cavalry horses have noth- 
ing like the current hard service to perform that ours 
have. But we hope that this state of things will be- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 289 

all changed in a few weeks, that we shall have troops 
enough down here to take the offensive, and put the 
enemy to looking out for the safety of their trains, 
etc. "We believe that they will find that we can and 
will act as vigorously on the offensive as on the defen- 
sive, and that their lease on the south bank of the 
river is almost at an end. If Colonel Phillips should 
get reinforcements soon, he would no doubt cross the 
river and attack General Cooper in his camp. If suc- 
cessful, this would be better than forcing him to de- 
tach a portion of his troops for the protection of his 
supply trains. 

A rebel reconnoitering force of about two hundred 
men were on the opposite side of Grand river this 
morning, probably ndt more than three miles from 
this post. They have ascertained that we have no 
force on the west side at present, and that the river 
here is so high that we cannot use the two little flat- 
boats to take over a cavalry force, and that they can 
sport around with impunity almost within sight of 
the guns of the fort. As the Arkansas and Yerdigris 
Kivers are both fordable, they know it would not be 
difficult to escape, even if we should send a force in 
pursuit of them. They may have been making a 
kind of survey of the situation, with the view of see- 
ing if their batteries could be used against us with 
much advantage from the west side. It is the impres- 
sion of our officers that they could not. The opposite 
heights, we believe, are too distant even for the best 
long range rifled guns to be very effective against our 
19 



290 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

works on the blniF. And supposing that they should 
hammer away at our fortifications for several days, 
they would at the end of that time still have the river 
to cross, which we should warmly contest, whether 
they attempted to ford it, or should bring pontoons to 
throw across it. When the river is low enough 
for a few hundred yards above or below the fortifica- 
tions, and the enemy should attempt to force either of 
these crossings, we could quickly throw up tempor- 
ary breastworks to cover our battery, and with grape 
and canister inflict a heavy loss upon them before 
they got over. But I will not state farther what we 
could do in an event that is not likely to occur. It 
is barely possible, however, that Generals Cooper and 
Cabell have contemplated joining forces to reduce 
this place. 

Several loyal Cherokee women, who have just arrived 
from near Cincinnati,a small place about sixty miles east 
of this post, on the State line, report that a large force 
of the enemy, perhaps upwards of a thousand strong, 
were encamped at that point a few days ago. These 
women state that the enemy were all white troops, and 
appeared to be moving northward. "We think that 
this is a party of General Cabell's force, which has 
been operating in western Arkansas during the last 
month. Should General Cabell undertake to co-oper- 
ate with General Cooper, Colonel Phillips will have 
his hands full. This movement to the east of us, and 
right on the line of the Nation, looks somewhat as if 
the enemy intended to be in readiness by the time 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 291 

our next supply train comes down in about two weeks. 
They have commenced to set their toils early. A cav- 
alry force can march in a day and night from the 
Arkansas line to any point on the Grand Kiver, and 
thus easily co-operate with any force General Cooper 
might send to the west of us. Instead of making a 
demonstration against the troops here, it seem s to be 
the intention of the enemy to withdraw to a conven- 
ient distance, so that our supply train will attempt to 
come through without our reinforcing its escort. If 
they make another effort to capture it, as they doubt- 
less will, we may count upon their coming better pre- 
pared than last month. We shall also probably be 
better prepared to defend the train. 

The few small patches of wheat that were sown last 
fall, by a good many families, in different parts of the 
Nation, are now just beginning to be harvested by 
the Indians. The season has been favorable, and the 
yield fair to the acreage. Beyond fifteen or twenty 
miles from this post, it is regarded as very dangerous 
for the men to work in their fields without guards for 
protection. An Indian is in his natural element when 
he has an opportunity of sneaking upon hk foe, and 
there are many rebel Indians who have returned for this 
purpose. They regard this as a good time to get even 
on old grudges, which may have existed between their 
grandfathers in Tennessee or Georgia. The way the 
harvesters arranged it, is, I believe, for four or five or a 
half dozen men to combine to assist each other. About 
half of the party works while the other half stands 



292 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

guard. It is thought that there has been enough 
wheat grown in the nation this .season, which, if care- 
fully harvested, will go far towards subsisting the In- 
dian families, thus dispensing with the necessity of 
their being refugees about our camp, and fed by the 
Government. Colonel Phillips is disposed to afford 
them all the protection he can, while they are engaged 
in harvesting their wheat crop, by keeping the country 
as free of the enemy as possible. A dispatch was re- 
ceived on the 14th instant, from Major Foreman, who 
was sent out a few days ago, with a force of about 
three hundred and twenty-five Indians and white men^ 
stating that he is in hot pursuit of Stand wai tie's Indi- 
ans, who for upwards of a week, have been commit- 
ting numerous depredations in the country to the 
northeast of us. While Standwaitie is permitted to 
remain in the nation, most of his followers return to 
their homes in the section in which he operates, and 
coming in contact with some of our loyal Indians, 
who have also returned to their homes, a kind of pri- 
vate war springs up between the belligerent parties, 
generally resulting in bloody contests. The reputa. 
tion Major Foreman has as a fighting ofiicer, justifies 
us in believing that he would either bring the rebel 
Indians to an engagement, or drive them out of the 
Nation. But from the information received, it does 
not seem likely that they will make a stand north of 
the Arkansas River. They have shown very little dis- 
position to come into a square fight. 

Colonel Wattles, of the First Indian regiment, who 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 293 

was sent out on the morning of the 15th, with a force 
of about three hundred men, to make a reconnoissance 
for a distance of fifteen or twenty miles along the north 
side of the Arkansas to the east of us, met a force of 
the enemy the next morning, about equal to his own, 
near Green Leaf Prairie, some ten miles east. Through 
his scouts. Colonel Phillips had heard of this force of 
the enemy, and knew that it was not much, if any, su- 
perior to the force under Colonel Wattles. Well, the 
two forces having met, a fight or the flight of one 
party was of course inevitable. But the two opposing 
forces determined to test each other's strength and 
bravery. The enemy posted themselves in the woods, 
near the road leading to Webber's Falls, in a rather 
advantageous position, and seemed to wish our troops 
to commence the attack, which they did very soon. 
Colonel Wattles did not, however, commence the at- 
tack directly in front, as the enemy desired, but threw 
out skirmishers, and commenced a movement to turn 
the enemy's right flank. By this movement our troops 
had the shelter of the woods as well as the enemy. 
Our force now having gained as good a position as that 
held by the enemy, the skirmish line was advanced, 
followed by the other troops in line, about two hun- 
dred yards back. The enemy, after some firing at dif- 
ferent points along the skirmish line, forced it back 
upon our main line. But he did not come dashing 
furiously along with drawn swords, with the deter- 
mination of breaking through our ranks. Nor did 
our troops move forward like a hurricane, but rather 



29J: MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

steadily until the enemy commenced to fall back. 
There was very little dash displayed on either side. 

The position of the enemy at this point, according 
to the account of an eyewitness, was just such a one as 
Colonel Jewell would have delighted to have had, 
were he living and had been on the field: 
He would have said: "Men, are your car- 
bines and revolvers in perfect order? Do you seethe 
enemy there? Unsheath sabres, follow me." And in an 
instant he would have swept like a storm through the 
ranks of the enemy, and few of them would have es- 
caped the edges of our swords. He could instantly 
seize the situation, and there was no dallying with the 
foe afterwards. 

After the skirmishing and fighting, which lasted 
upwards of an hour, the enemy retreated in the direc- 
tion of Webber's Falls, having had a number of men 
wounded. 

Our casualties were : one man killed, seven wounded 
and five taken prisoners. The five men taken prison- 
ers belonged to the battalion Sixth Kansas Cavalry, 
and were not captured in the engagement, but while on 
their way down to join Colonel Wattles. They ex- 
pected to find our troops at a certain place, but 
instead found the enemy, and were right in his midst 
before discovering their mistake. Some of our impet- 
uous white soldiers, when they hear of a prospective 
%^*> g^t permission, and rush away to take a hand in 
it, instead of waiting to take their proper places in 
their companies. While we admire their bravery, we 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 295 

are sometimes called upon to condemn their rashness 
and indiscretion. 

As soon as a messenger came in and reported that 
the force under Colonel "Wattles had been fighting the 
enemy at Green Leaf, and were falling back, Colonel 
Phillips immediately sent out Lieutenant-Colonel F. 
W. Shaurtie with two hundred men — mostly Indians — 
to relieve Colonel Wattles. But the reinforcements 
had not marched more than half way to the place 
where the engagement occurred, when they were met 
by the force under Colonel Wattles returning to this 
post. The enemy and our troops had turned their 
heels on each other. Through his scouts Colonel Phil- 
lips knew very nearly the exact strength of the enemy, 
and he was not at all satisfied with the conduct of 
Colonel Wattles. 

The enemy's pickets and ours were in swimming to- 
gether in the Arkansas on the 19th instant. Though 
they agreed beforehand that they would not endeavor 
to take advantage of each other, yet they were cautious 
not to come nearer than a rod of each other, and the 
men of each party took care to keep nearest the water's 
edge of their own side of the river. The next day 
they were less distrustful of each other, and an equal 
number of men from each side had a friendly confer- 
ence in the middle of the Arkansas. The two parties 
talked for sometiine in a good-natured manner of the 
various contests in which each had participated, of 
some relative or friend who was taken prisoner in such 
an engagement; of the prospects of the war, and of 



296 MEMOIRS OF THE REBEI!lION 

the operations of the armies in the east. By an agree- 
ment of the first day's conference, the rebel soldiers 
were to-day to bring some tobacco, and our soldiers 
some coifee, for exchange with each other. Both par- 
ties kept their promises, and at the meeting on the 
20th, exchanged their coffee and tobacco with each 
other in the middle of the river. As I was acquainted 
with our river patrol, I had the curiosity to witness 
the meeting. At this conference the rebel soldiers men- 
tioned of having the five white prisoners captured by 
their forces at Green Leaf, on the 16th instant. They 
also in the course of the conversation said that there 
had recently been a good many desertions from their 
army, and that four men who were tried not long since 
for desertion, have been found guilty and sentenced 
to be shot, and that the sentence is expected to be 
carried into effect in a few days. From what we have 
frequently heard, I believe that the rebels are more 
rigid in their punishment of deserters than the mili- 
tary authorities in our armies, although with us the 
penalty is death for desertion in time of war. "With 
us there is not much trouble taken to find deserters, 
and bring them to trial. I have been with our army 
on the border and in this territory now nearly two 
years, and there has not yet been a deserter from the 
troops with which I liave been serving, caught, tried, 
condemned and executed to my knowledge. We have 
had a small number of desertions during this period. 
It is possible, however, that there have been some exe- 
cutions for desertion at Forts Scott and Leavenworth, 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 297 

as the courts-martial for the trial ot deserters have gen- 
erally been convened at those posts. There is such a 
sentiment against inflicting the death penalty, even in 
cases where the charge is murder, that I have no doubt 
but that there are officers who would prefer, if the dis- 
charge of their duties permitted, to be relieved from 
the disagreeable duty of approving the findings of the 
court in case of desertion. It is highly gratifying to 
note the spreading of this more humane sentiment. 
There is a tendency of our Government not to punish 
its soldiers so rigorously as formerly for certain 
offenses. Flogging has been abolished in the army 
and navy since the war commenced, and no one will 
contend that the morale of our army has suffered in 
consequence. It was a barbarous practice, and origina- 
ted in a less enlightened age than this. Indeed, I doubt 
whether there ever was an army that was composed of 
more true gentlemen than is our army at this moment. 
Supposing that the law had remained on the statutes 
permitting an upstart of an officer to have a soldier 
flogged for any petty offense, imaginary or real, and 
thousands of patriotic men throughout the country 
would not have so readily come forward and offered 
their services to the Government? A government that 
recognizes the manly spirit of its citizen soldiery, will 
lose nothing by treating them as men in the end. 
There must of course be discipline; for there has not 
yet probably been a single regiment organized for the 
war, into which there has not enlisted several regular 
dead heats. But men of this class who persist in vio- 



298 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

latinpj law and order, as soon as their true characters 
are known, should be drummed out of the service in 
disgrace, or if their offenses demand a greater punish- 
mens, confined in military prisons for definite periods. 
But even these hard characters the lash and buck and 
gagging, are not likely to make better. "What their 
prison discipline should be I am not prepared to say, 
except that I believe it should be of such a nature as 
would have a tendency to reform them instead of hard- 
ening their perverse natures. 

Colonel Phillips sent out Major Foreman on the 
20th instant, with a force of about six hundred men 
and one twelve-poimd howitzer, to meet our supply 
train, which has probably left Fort Scott, and is now 
on the way down. It it is not delayed by high water 
at the crossing of the Neosho River, he should meet it 
between that point and Cabin Creek. He will have 
time to march leisurely, and to send out scouting par- 
ties to the east and west of his column to ascertain if 
the enemy have as yet shown any signs of activity in 
the country above here, with the view of making an- 
other effort to capture our train. 

From information received from the enemy's camp 
on the south side of the river, it is evident that they 
are making preparations to attack our train at some 
point above this post. There was great activity in 
their camp yesterday, and last night they sent out two 
strong columns of cavalry, one of which is to pass to 
the east of us and the other to the west of us. Our 
scouts are watching them closely, and Colonel Phil- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 299 

lips is advised of every movement they make. The 
force that moves to the east of us, it is reported, in- 
tends to join General Cabell, who has about fifteen 
hundred men and several pieces of artillery at a point 
between the Arkansas line, near Cincinnati, and Grand 
River. Though we do not know their exact intentions, 
everything points to their intention of concentrating 
all their mounted forces in the neighborhood of Cabin 
Creek, and to await the arrival of the train and escort. 
Should our troops guarding the train find the enemy 
too strongly posted at this point on the west side to be 
able to dislodge them, and attempt to cross Grand River 
at Grand Saline and come down on the east side,, 
General Cabell will be on hand to thwart the move- 
ment, or he may cross the river and join General 
Cooper's force on the west side. They, no doubt, 
think that they have us in a tight place, and that they 
will certainly succeed this time in taking our rations 
from us. But our oflacers are not asleep and ignorant 
of their movements and designs. They will have to 
fight harder and show greater deeds of valor than be- 
fore if they come ofi* victorious in the contest for the 
prize. 

There is an old Indian prophet, fortune teller and 
medicine man at this post, who sometimes has crowds 
of silly clients around him, desiring him to forecast 
the future for them. Their faith in his nonsensical 
performance is remarkable. The belief that certain 
persons are gifted with prophecy, that they can raise 
the curtain and peer into the future, and read trifling 



300 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

incidents m regard to love scrapes, fortunes, friends 
lost, &c., is wide spread, and quite common among 
every people whose history is known to ns. The In- 
dians here are no more superstitious in this respect 
than the white people in the most intelligent portions 
of the country, and even in the most intellectual cen- 
tres. In nearly all the newspapers that come to us 
from the great cities of the country, may be seen ad- 
vertisements of' Fortune Tellers" — "your future told 
hy astrology," " clairvoyance," " or cards." These 
people must have customers, or they could not afford 
to pay for their advertisements. And their advertise- 
ments indicate that they get their living by fortune 
telling, which we know is the case. Even here in the 
far west, there is probably not a single family that 
has been living in the country half a dozen years, 
that has not been visited by wandering gypsies on for- 
tune telling business. 

But to return to my Indian prophet. He prepares 
a poultice from different kinds of herbs, and applies it 
to his head during the night. It is stated by those 
who are somewhat familiar with him, that he takes 
into his stomach a certain quantity of the juice of these 
herbs. Any way, it is said that the herbs affect his 
nervous system and mind in some mysterious man- 
ner so that he has very vivid dreams and a kind of 
nervous exaltation. And even after he awakens he ac- 
tually has, or feigns to have, a wild, wierd look. It 
is in this state that he affects to read the future to those 
around him, whose relaxed jaws and raised eyebrows 



ON THE BORDER.— 1863. • 801 

show their faith in him. To be fully equipped as a 
prophet, it has been suggested that he should have a 
witch's cauldron filled with frogs' feet, the beaks of 
birds and claws of wild animals, and stir them, mait- 
tering cabalistic words. 



CHAPTEE XVI. 

The rebel pickets shout across the river that the Federal supply 
train is coming — Another rebel force gone to meet the Federal 
supply train — Movements of the Confederate armies in 
the East as reported by rebel pickets— Vicksburg closely in- 
vested by General Grant — Federal troops in southwest Mis. 
souri — Federal supply train detained by high water at Neo- 
sho River — Federal supplies running short at Fort Gibson — 
High water in Grand River — Indian women report heavy fir- 
ing in the vicinity of Cabin Creek — General Cabell on the east 
side of Grand River, near Cabin Creek, with artillery — The 
suspense — A National Salute fired in honor of Independence 
Day — Beef and Beans for barbecue—The pinch of hunger — 
Horses and dead rebels floating in the river — Two days' fight- 
ing at Cabin Creek— Gallant charge of the Colored regiment- 
Total rout of the enemy— How the Federal troops crossed 
Cabin Creek under fire — General Cabell unable to join General 
Cooper's division on account of high water — Arrival of sup- 
ply train at Fort Gibson. 

The rebel pickets shouted across the river on the 
24:th instant, that our commissary train was on the 
way down, and that Colonel Dodd was commanding the 
escort to it, which is composed of two infantry regi- 
ments and four pieces of artillery. This is really news 
to our officers here, as we have not heard what troops 
and how strong a force would guard it down. Our 
hostile neighbors across the river seem to be better in- 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 303 

formed of the movements of our train and troops in 
the country above than we are. Livingston, the guer- 
rilla chieftain, whom I have frequentl}^ mentioned as 
operatino; in the vicinity of Baxter Springs, it is 
thought sends couriers to General Cooper every three 
or four days, and that they must either travel at night 
or take a route not much frequented by our troops. 
If Colonel Phillips would have carefully posted at 
half a dozen points twenty-five or thirty miles above 
here, say three men at each station, well armed and 
mounted on good horses, I believe that the enemy's 
dispatch bearers could be captured. 

A large part of the remaining force of the enemy 
on the south side of the Arkansas made a movement 
in some direction on the 25th. Their pickets intimate 
that this force has marched out to join the cavalry 
General Cooper sent out a few days ago to attack our 
train. That their pickets should venture to refer to 
the movements of this force in connection with our 
train looks as if they feel very confident of success, or 
else believe that we are Derfectly advised of all their 
movements. 

It is now reported by our scouts that most of the 
enemy's camp has been removed back to Elk Creek, 
some twenty miles south of this post. This explains 
the activity noticed in theircampon the 25th instant. 
Should we endeavor to cross the river and compel the 
flight of the detachments guarding the different fords, 
they would endeavor to warn their baggage trains at 
Elk Creek by signals, so that they could be moving 



304 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

south, several hours before we could reach that point. 
The troops of this division, however, are too busily 
ens^aged elsewhere to make a dash on the enemy's 
camp. 

The rebel pickets on Sunday, 28th instant, stated that 
they had just heard that the Confederate army in the 
east, under General Lee, has recently gained a great 
victory over the Federal army, and that our army has 
fallen back to the immediate vicinity of Washington. 
They also stated that General Lee is preparing for an- 
other invasion of Maryland, and intends entering^ 
Pennsylvania with the army of Northern Yirginia^ 
with the view of capturing Philadelphia and Balti- 
more. Though, in our isolation here, news from the 
East is a long time reaching us, yet that which comes 
shows that both the Federal and Confederate armies 
are displaying great activity, and that a great conflict 
is imminent. The loss of a great battle now, or the 
capture by the enemy of either of the large cities 
above mentioned, would be extremely damaging to 
our cause, and I know that thousands of loyal hearts 
are trembling in regard to the impending result. 
Our defeat would encourage the faint hearted, and 
those in the I*^orth who have all along opposed the 
war, to cry for peace at almost any price. Our forces, 
under General Grant, are still besieging Yicksburg,, 
and our lines are tightening around the enemy there. 
We may expect to hear of some definite action at that 
place shortly, as the enemy have now run short of 
supplies, with very little hope of being provisioned 



ON THE BORDER-I863. 305 

again, as they are surrounded from all sides, and there- 
fore completely isolated from other divisions of the 
rebel army. It seems that General Grant has not re- 
laxed his grasp in the slightest degree since he com- 
menced the siege. He has perhaps nearly a hundred 
thousand men, and has already made several furious 
assaults on the enemy's works. The capture of Yicks- 
burg and opening of the Mississippi River to the Gulf, 
will break the backbone of the Confederacy in the 
West, if not indeed of the entire South. When the 
Confederacy shall thus be cut into two nearly equal 
divisions, there can be very little co-operation between 
the eastern and western Rebel armies. 

And should reinforcements of a thousand or so men 
come down with our train the enemy in our from will 
not likely occupy their position on the south side 
much longer. What a grand idea it would be if our 
forces, when the half year is up, could make an ad- 
vance all along our lines, east and west, and overthrow 
the enemy at every point. 

Several Indian women who have just arrived from 
near the Arkansas line a few miles south of Maysville, 
state that it was currently reported when they left, that 
General Brown, commanding the Missouri State troops 
in southwest Missouri, recently had a fight with Gen- 
eral Marmaduke's cavalry and defeated it with consid- 
able loss. We do not hear much about the movements 
of our troops southwest of Springfield and around 
Cassville, but hope that they have not been idle. We 
have expected however, that they would have moved 
20 



BOB MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

forward and re-occupied Fayetteville before this. Had 
they done so a month ago, it would have relieved us of 
the necessity of using so many of the troops of this 
command in watching the movements of the enemy 
along the Arkansas line to the east of us, and our iso- 
lation would not have been so complete as it is atpres- 
sent. Even at this moment it is probable that a force 
of the enemy is moving from Arkansas northeast of 
us, to attack our supply train. If there are as many 
volunteer troops in Southwest Missouri as there were 
nearly two months ago when I was at Cassville, it is 
surely strange that the Department Commander does 
not permit them to march into Arkansas and seek the 
enemy. At any rate a large infantry force is not re- 
quired in Southwest Missouri. 

A dispatch from Major Foreman states that our 
commissary train was detained on the north side of 
the Neosho river, on account of high water. He 
thought, however, that it would be able to cross in an- 
other day, provided no other recent heavy rains have 
fallen upon the region w^hich that river drains. If it 
crossed that stream as he predicted, it is now within a 
dav's march of Cabin Creek, where we anticipate it 
will be attacked by the enemy. All the detachments 
that Colonel Phillips has sent out to make reconnois- 
sances within the past two days, report having discov- 
ered signs of trails through the prairie, which show 
tliat the enemy have marched in several strong divi- 
sions, to some point thirty or forty miles above this 
place. They have had a month to make prepara- 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 307 

tions for this event, and no doubt will make a heroic 
effort to accomplish their purpose. Their cavalry 
horses are reported to be in better condition than ours, 
having had less hard service to perform dnring the 
spring than ours. And they have an advantage in 
being able-to choose whatever position they wish. 

We feel quite anxious here in regard to the result 
of the struggle, which will doubtless be decided in 
the course of the next two or three days. We are 
now, and have been for some ten days, issuing to the 
troops at this post less than half rations ; a thing 
that has not occurred before in that division of the 
army with which I have been connected. Our hard 
bread and flour, sugar, tea and coffee, are nearly ex- 
hausted, so that after two days more we shall have to 
subsist on beans, rice and fresh beef. Fortunately we 
have sufficient salt for seasoning purposes for perhaps 
ten days yet. Fresh beef without salt would likely un- 
dermine the health of our troops in a short time. A 
considerable quantity of wheat has been obtained re- 
cently, which under a stress can be cooked and used 
for food. But the soldiers, whites and Indians, appear 
very cheerful ; and we do not apprehend that we shall 
be obliged to kill the dogs, and mules and horses here, 
before our provisions reach us. The shortness of 
rations and the isolation of our position sometimes 
causes the soldier to jocularly refer to such a contin- 
gency. The Indian dogs would not be fit for any- 
thing except soup, as there is very little flesh on their 
bones ; besides they are generally quite small. Pro- 



308 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

bably nearly every boy, soon after he begins to read, 
drifts into reading the histories of wars and sieges. 
Nothing can be more interesting to the young mind 
of the budding man, j udging by my own experience. 
"Well, as we are into the same kind of war as those we 
used to read about, we know that we are liable to be 
subjected to hardships and privations as severe as any 
of those mentioned in the histories we read. We do not 
absolutely know what a day may bring forth. But 
our stomachs would rebel against such food as the 
flesh of dogs, and mules and horses, in fact absolutely 
refuse it for some days yet. While a dog's flesh is 
perhaps equally as clean as that of a hog, our educa- 
tion through generations has been such that we refuse 
the former with disgust, almost amounting to nausea, 
and relish the latter as a delicacy. Horses and mules 
are clean-feeding animals, indeed as niuch so as sheep 
and cattle ; yet the thought of having to use their 
flesh for food, would almost derange the appetite of 
those who are not even getting their full rations. If 
our imaginations did not act so powerfully on our 
stomachs, I cannot see why the flesh of these animals, 
if slaughtered in good healthy condition, should not 
be as wholesome as beef and mutton. But there is 
an old saying, " That which is one man's food, is an- 
other man's poison." 

Grand River has risen considerably since June 29th, 
and we hear that there have been heavy rains in the 
direction of southern Kansas recently. The rise in 
the river that is just commencing here now, is proba- 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 30^ 

bly from the same rains that caused the big rise in 
the Neosho, and detained our train there several days. 
How this rise in the Grand Eiverwill affect the opera- 
tions of the two opposing forces above here, we will 
know in a few days. 

Two Indian women came into our camp July 1st 
from a section about fifteen miles north of Tahlaquah, 
and they report that a large force of the enemy, com- 
posed of cavalry and artillery, passed their places yes- 
terday evening, moving westward in the direction of 
Grand Saline. This, we are informed through our 
scouts, is the force I mentioned about a week ago as 
being encamped at Cincinnati, on the Arkansas line, 
under command of Brigadier-General Cabell. If the 
enemy arrive on the ground at the place they have 
chosen to make the attack, as they doubtless have, be- 
fore our troops and train come up, they will be able 
to fortify themselves to some extent. They can also 
make a thorough survey of the position they have 
chosen, so that if they are driven from one point, they 
will have another position equally as good for attack 
or defense. It is not likely that they feel so sure of 
success , that they will not leave a way open for re- 
treat. 

A deserter from the rebel command, now encamped 
on Elk Creek, was brought in this morning, July Lst, 
and he states that just before he left the enemy on 
the 28th ultimo, General Cooper had sent out another 
division of cavalry to join the force that had gonef 
out several days previous. He says that they are very 



310 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

confident of success this time, as they have made 
great preparations, and are well advised of the move- 
ments of the train and escort since they left Fort 
Scott. It was the intention of the first division that 
went ont, he thinks, to examine all the positions be- 
tween Flat Kock and Cabin Creek, and to select the 
one which would be the most advantageous for mak- 
ing the attack. An experienced engineer ofticer ac- 
companied them, so that nothing should be laking to 
make the organization of the expedition complete. 

"Well, from all the information we have been able to 
obtain, it is regarded as certain that the enemy's forces 
have converged at a point about forty miles above here 
in the neighborhood of Cabin Creek, yesterday even- 
ing (June 30th). Our train and escort, according to 
our calculation, should arrive there July 1st, perhaps 
in the afternoon. The contest for the prize will soon 
have been settled. As it is now eleven days since 
Major Foreman left here with his force of six hundred 
men and one twelve-pound mountain howitzer, he has 
had ample time to march as far north as Hudson's 
Ford on the Neosho, or perhaps to Baxter Spring, 
fifteen miles still further north. In either event he 
will probably advise Colonel Williams, commanding 
the First regiment Kansas colored volunteers at Bax- 
ter Spring, of the preparations that the enemy have been 
making to capture the train. As Colonel Williams 
has the reputation of being a gallant ofiicer, and as he 
will doubtless be anxious to give his colored troops an 
opportunity of displaying their valor on the field, we 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 311 

feel quite sure, from what we have heard of him, that, 
if his orders are not too positive to remain where he 
is, he will accompany the train with his regiment. 
At such a time as this he should not be hampered with 
orders that would keep his regiment inactive when it 
is needed, within the hearing of booming artillery. 
Though there is still some prejudice in regard to 
using colored soldiers in the field beside white sol- 
diers, and though I think that this prejudice has been 
somewhat respected, yet, under the present pressure, I 
do not believe that any serious objection will be made 
to the colored regiment coming down to participate in 
the fight, for if it does, the proportion of white Iroops 
will be less than Indians and colored soldiers, unless 
there is a regiment of white troops along that we 
have not heard of. I hope that Colonel Williams will 
be permitted to bring his regiment along, and that his 
men will show a disposition to enter the lists in com- 
petition for bravery, if the enemy make the attack 
which we believe they have planned ; so that our ene- 
my neighbors across the river may become fully satis- 
fied that colored soldiers are not myths. 

We have been discussing the situation at Cabin 
Creek, and it was suggested that this night our ofticers 
may be in conference concerning the plan of attack or 
defense for the morrow. If such is the case, we hope 
that their deliberations will be full of wisdom, and 
that they may have strength and valor to carry out 
their plans. 

Another day has dawned ; the sun has climbed the 



312 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

middle sky and is now descending low on the western 
heights; our rations are well nigh exhausted, and our 
soldiers are beginning to feel the pinch of hunger. I 
pause a moment in anxious suspense. 

I have just been to the river, and I find that it has 
risen nearly two feet since this hour yesterday even- 
in o-. Every one is anxious for news from our train 
and troops, for it is regarded as quite certain that an 
engagement has taken place or is in progress. Several 
Indian women who have just arrived from Grand Saline 
state that they heard artillery and musketry firing yes- 
terday evening in the direction of Cabin Creek. They 
also state that they heard of a large force of the enemy 
being encamped near Grand Saline, who were unable 
to cross Grand River on account of its being so full, 
and that the river is unusually high at that point this 
season. They seem to have bee.n much frightened 
when they started, and came as quickly as possible, 
that they might be under the protection of Colonel 
Phillips, and learn the result of the engagement, as 
they have near relatives in the Third Indian regiment. 
Colonel Phillips has watched over the Indians with such 
solicitude, that the men, women and children regard 
him almost, if not quite, with real afitection. They 
show commendable zeal, too, in keeping him advised of 
the movements of the enemy. And from my own 
observations since I have been with this command, I 
believe it would have been impossible for any other 
officer to have won such affectionate regard from these 
Indians. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 313 

To-day (July 3rd) was very quiet along the Arkan- 
sas; the enemy's pickets were in suspense as well as 
our troops at this post. They do not even seem to 
have heard of the artillery and musketry firing- of 
Wednesday evening. Or if they have, they do not 
<iare to say anything about it. If the commanding 
officer of the expedition has sent any dispatches back to 
Oeneral Cooper at Elk Creek, it is not likely that they 
show anything definite to have been accomplished when 
the courier left. The difierent scouting parties that Col- 
onel Phillips has sent out in various directions the last 
three or four days, who have returned, report that the 
enemy are displaying very little activity around us at 
pl-esent. Their force south of us has no doubt been 
reduced quite low to furnish men for the expedition 
that has gone after our train. If we had means of 
crossing the Arkansas, and a regiment of cavalry to 
spare, it would be a good time to make a dash on their 
€amp. The river has continued to rise since yesterday 
evening, and is now quite full at this point. It is not 
likely that it has been fordable at any p)oint between 
this post and Grand Saline for the last four days. 

To-day being the 4th, or Independence Day, a na- 
tional salute of thirty-four guns was fired this morn- 
ing at sunrise, by Hopkins' battery. The sunrise was 
unusually fine, and the mountains in the distance, just 
before the first rays of the sun fell on the plain below, 
seemed more charming than at any other time since 
we have been encamped here. Though we have not 
had a barbecue to-dav with all the delicacies of the sea- 



31 J: MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

son, we have made the best of that which we had. 
Most of the messes have had either rice, or beans, or 
hominy, or wheat, with coffee and fresh beef. There 
is, perhaps, some slight difference in fare of the vari- 
ous messes throughout the camp, for some had accu- 
mulated a larger surplus of rations than others during 
the past month, when we commenced to issue a re- 
duced ration about two weeks ago. Men are economi- 
cal or wasteful in their army life, just as they are in 
their every day life around their homes. The food we 
get is quite nutritious, if we would only get accus- 
tomed to it. To make a very radical and sudden 
change in the diet of soldiers, may reault very injuri- 
ously to them. We shall be fortunate if evil eifects- 
do not flow from the change of food which we have 
recently been subjected to. 

Several horses and men were discovered floating in 
the river nearly opposite the fort to-day. As they were 
first noticed about a half mile above the fort, and 
nearest this side, and out of the strong current, they 
were sometime in passing, and a good many people 
gathered along the banks to see them. "We have na 
boats fit for service in the river in its present condi- 
tion, and I heard of no efibrts being made to bring the 
men to shore. Their clothing showed that they were 
not Federal soldiers, for at one or two points they 
floated near enough to shore to see whether thev had 
on blue blouses or sky-blue trousers. A good many 
conjectures were advanced as to whether they w^ere re- 
cently friends or foes, and how they came to get 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 315 

drowned. The mystery of their deaths, however, will 
probably be cleared up in a few days, when we shall 
have been better informed of the operations of the two- 
opposing forces on the river north of ns. 

The train and escort arrived at Fort Gibson, July 
5th, just before twelve o'clock, although we heard, 
early in the morning, that they would get in during 
the day. I made a good many inquiries concerning 
the cause of delay since they crossed the NeoshoRiver 
at Hudson's ford. But we may now go back of the Neo- 
sho Hiver to Fort Scott, and trace the progress of the 
train to Fort Blunt or Gibson. The train left Fort 
Scott with the following troops as an escort: One 
company of the Third Wisconsin cavalry, company C 
Ninth Kansas cavalry; six companies of the Second 
Colorado infantry; one section of Blair's battery, and 
one twelve-pound mountain howitzer. This force and 
the train reached Baxter Springs, on the 26th of June, 
where they were joined by Major Foreman of this 
division, with the six hundred men and one twelve- 
pound howitzer, which I have already mentioned as 
having left here on the 20tli ultimo. This force and 
train moved fifteen miles south of Baxter to Hud- 
son's Ford on Neosho River, where they were detained 
two days on account of high waters. While they were 
thus detained. Colonel J. M. Williams, commanding 
the colored regiment at Baxter Springs, received infor^ 
mation which led hitn to believe that the escort and 
train would certainly be attacked on the way down, 
and perhaps within a day or two after they crossed the 



316 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

]S^eoslio River, bj a large force of the enemy. He, 
therefore, determined to march his colored regiment 
to JSTeosho River, and offer its services to Lieut. Colo- 
nel Theo. R. Dodd, Second Colorado infantry, com- 
manding the escort. Colonel Dodd accepted this re- 
inforcement to his escort without interposing any ob- 
jection on account of color ; and the whole force moved 
forward as soon as the river was low enough to ford. I 
should almost be justified in dwelling a moment right 
here, for I think that this is the first time in our his- 
tory that white and colored troops have co-operated — 
that is, have joined hands in a common cause against 
the enemy. It is a grand step in the direction of 
wiping out the idea that man's right to life, liberty 
and the pursuit of happiness, should depend upon the 
color of his skin The first day's march south of the 
IS'eosho River, Major Foreman, with a force of cavalry, 
on the left flank discovered a fresh trail, and on fol- 
lowing it some distance, came upon, and captured one 
and killed two of Standwaitie's pickets. The man the 
Major held was badly frightened, and was easily per- 
suaded and even anxious to tell all he knew. Such 
information as he was able to give, however, was of lit- 
tle value, as our troops marched in such order that it 
would almost have been impossible for the enemy to 
surprise them. In the afternoon of Wednesday, July 
1st, our train and escort arrived on the heights on the 
north side of Cabin Creek. The stream, where the 
old military road crosses it, runs nearly directly east, 
perhaps inclining a little to the southeast, and empties 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 3lT 

into the Grand Kiver not more than three miles dis- 
tant. The topography of that section is perfectly fa- 
miliar to me, as we were encamped there one year ago, 
having moved there shortly after the capture of Colo- 
nel Clarkson, referred to in a previous chapter. We 
were in that immediate vicinity nearly two weeks. It 
was a good point for a camp, and our reconnoitering 
parties were daily sent out through the Nation to the 
south and southeast of our main camp. 

But to return to the recent operations at Cabin 
Creek. A little skirmishing occurred a few miles north 
of the heights, near the crossing of the military road^ 
but the resistance of the enemy was not sufficient to 
cause a halt of our troops and train. It is all prairie 
north of the heights for several miles, but descending 
the heights and getting into the bottom, there is a 
heavy growth of timber and thick woods. At this 
season, some places the woods are so thickly clothed 
with foliage, that foot or cavalrymen could not be 
seen twenty yards in front. As the advance of the 
escort came upon the heights overlooking the strip of 
timb^ along Cabin Creek, which is upwards of two 
miles wide at the military crossing, Colonel Dodd, 
the commanding officer, directed that a skirmish line 
be thrown out at once, and that the train be parked 
on the prairie as fast as the teams drove up. The 
train having been corraled without the slightest ex- 
citement or confusion, there was detailed to guard it 
the Second Colorado infantry, one company of the 
First Kansas colored infantry, and one company of the 



318 MEMOIES OF THE REBELLION 

Sixth Kansas cavalry. The other troops and artillery 
were to be held in readiness to operate against the 
«nemy. The skirmish line now pushed forward to the 
right and left through the woods towards the stream. 
It had not proceeded far when considerable firing 
commenced on both sides, but not at very short range. 
Our cavalry moved steadily forward, determined to 
develop the strength of the enemy on the north side 
of the stream if possible. As he did not have more 
than four or five hundred men on the north side, they 
•could not stand much pressing, and soon broke. Some 
fled up the stream under cover of the timber, and some 
down it, and some made their horses attempt to swim 
it at the nearest accessible point, but are supposed, in 
plunging over the steep bank, to have been drowned, 
-and washed down the stream. Our cavalry did not 
pursue them vigorously, but moved cautiously, as it 
was not known but that the enemy had a massed force 
on the north side, which would rise up at the proper 
moment and endeavor to throw our troops into confu- 
sion. But there was no massed force on the north 
side, and our cavalry soon reached the north 4lank of 
Cabin Creek, to discover the stream raging and foam- 
ing along furiously, and evidently too deep to be ford- 
able in the shallowest place. The rains which caused 
the rise in Neosho river, also caused the high waters 
in Cabin Creek; besides a more recent heavy rain fall- 
ing on the head waters of Cabin Creek, kept it up 
longer. When our cavalry arrived on the north bank 
they found that the enemy lined the woods on the op- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 319 

posite shore for nearly a mile up and down the stream. 
They opened a brisk fire upon our troops at every point 
Avhen they approached the water's edge, particularly 
in the neighborhood of the ford. This soon brought 
down a portion of the colored infantry under Colonel 
Williams. After his arrival, and the formation of his 
line along the north bank, there was some sharp mus- 
ketry firing over the stream for some time, from both 
forces. At convenient distances apart, signal stations 
Avere established by Colonels Dodd and Williams, to 
watch the movements of the enemy, and to warn the 
different bodies of our troops when they might be in 
danger of being overwhelmed by a superior force of 
the enemy. Several signal stations were high up in 
the boughs of trees, where the men remained for hours. 
Colonels Williams and Dodd being convinced that 
there was not a sufiicient force of the enemy on the 
north side of the stream to make them any serious re- 
sistance, determined to take its soundings with the 
view of forcing a crossing that evening. Major Fore- 
man, with a force of cavalry, was to try the ford and 
the colored infantry was to form in line on the banks 
above and below the entrance to the stream, supported 
by two howitzers. A few shells were thrown into the 
w^oods on the opposite shore, to drive the enemy from 
liis concealed position, and the colored infantry stood 
in line ready to deliver a volley into the ranks of the 
=enemy, should they come within range, and the cav- 
alry started into the foaming, eddying stream. The 
enemy immediately opened fire at rather long range, 



320 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

and the cavalry having entered the stream only a few- 
yards, and finding it not fordable, returned. A con- 
sultation was then held between Colonels Dodd and 
Williams, and Major Foreman, and it was decided that 
further operations should cease until the next morn- 
ing, when the stream would likely be fordable, as it 
was already beginning to run down. Kight was com- 
ing on, and orders were given to set the guards at all 
necessary points, and to refresh the troops with food 
and sleep. After the disposition of the troops had 
been made for the night, and all had satisfied the de- 
mands of appetite, another consultation of officers was 
held, at which were representatives from all the differ- 
ent detachments composing the escort. At this con- 
ference the plan of operations in regard to forcing a 
crossing of the stream in the morning, was discussed 
and agreed to. It was decided that the signal stations 
should be established next morning, very nearly as 
they had been during the evening, as already described. 
It was arranged that the positions of the troops should 
be about as follows: The section of Blair's battery and 
the twelve pound mountain howitzers, were to take 
positions on eminences above and below the ford, two 
hundred yards or so apart, so that their fire would 
converge to a point wherever desired on the opposite 
shore. Our officers saw that the enemy could not cross 
the apex of this inverted ^ without a dreadful loss of 
life, while our four pieces were discharging grape and 
canister in a continuous stream. Our troops were to 
enter the base of the inverted ^ in the following or- 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 321 

der: Major Foreman with the Indian cavalry, and some 
detachments from the battalion of the Sixth Kansas 
cavalry, were to take the advance. This force was to 
be followed by Captain Stewart, with one company of 
the Ninth Kansas cavalry, one company of the Third 
Wisconsin cavalry, and the First Kansas colored in- 
fantry, nnder the immediate command of Colonel 
Williams. The cavalry was to form in line as fast as 
they crossed over, to be supported by the colored in- 
fantry as fast as they could get over. With these 
plans for che morrow the officers separated, each going 
to his proper station to partake of refreshing sleep. 
Each left the council of war in ^ood spirits, fully de- 
termined to do his duty, as soon as the present veil of 
darkness should be removed, and Aurora should declare 
that a new day had dawned. The Goddess of Liberty, 
with contracted brow and storm-clad ?egis, watched 
over them. The videttes had no occasion to report to 
the officer of the guard any hostile movements of the 
enemy, to disturb tlie slumbering troops. Not a sol- 
itary shot from the various picket and vidette stations, 
fell upon the stillness of the night. No doubt but 
that stern expressions, as if grappling in bloody con- 
flict with the foe, played over the countenances 
of many of the sleeping heroes during the night. 
It was known that the enemy had nearly two 
thousand men, .a force superior to ours, besides 
they were not hampered in their movements by 
having to guard a large train. It was known too, 
that he had chosen his own position, and that 
21 



322 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

we could not expect to pass the stream without a 
hard fight. 

At daylight on the morning of the 2nd our troops 
were up making preparations for the struggle soon to 
commence. An officer who had made the rounds of 
the guards reported that the stream was probably ford- 
able oil the morning of the 2nd. He also reported that 
the enemy seemed to be displaying considerable activ- 
ity, as if preparing for the coming storm. When our 
men and animals had satisfied the demands of hunger, 
the wagon masters were directed to have their mule 
teams harnessed and hitched to the wagons, in readi- 
ness to move at a moment's notice; ammunition was 
given to the soldiers to replenish their cartridge boxes, 
and their arms inspected to see that they should be in 
complete order. And everything was in readiness, 
and our toops moved out about eight o'clock in splen- 
did order, as if going on parade or out to drill. Major 
Foreman marched at the head of the column of cav- 
alry, and was followed by Colonel Williams at the head 
of his colored infantry regiment, which marched with 
a firm steady step, with their bright muskets glitter- 
ing in the morning sunlight at a right shoulder shift. 
The section of Blair's battery and the howitzers march- 
ed in the rear; but when the head of the column had 
reached a point within two hundred yards of the ford, 
it halted a moment, and the field pieces and howitzers 
were ordered to take their positions on the elevations 
which had been selected for them. While these move- 
ments were being made the skirmish line advanced to 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 323 

the bank of the stream, and the skirmishers were ex- 
changing shots here and there with the enemy quite 
lively. The stream running across the inverted ^ 
nearer its base than its apex, the area of the apex on the 
opposite shore, it was estimated, would be sufficiently 
large for our troops to form in echelon as soon as they 
crossed over. The bugler beside Major Foreman 
%Q\m.di^^ forward^ and in a moment more the head of 
the column entered the base of the inverted j^ and the 
storm burst forth furiously. The artillery opened with 
shell and shrapnel, and swept the woods on eacli side of 
the apex of the inverted ^, but did not entirely suc- 
ceed in driving the enemy from their positions behind 
logs and felled trees. Our cavalary, under Major Fore- 
nian, continued to move forward, and just as they were 
about to enter the ford, a large force of the enemy ad- 
vanced from under cover of the thick woods to within 
a few yards of the opposite bank, and delivered a vol- 
ley into the ranks of our advancing column, wounding 
several men. The field pieces and howitzers immedi- 
ately after this poured a stream of grape and canister 
into the ranks of the enemy, and they quickly disap- 
peared behind their temporary defences. Major Fore- 
man continued to move steadily forward until he 
reached about the middle of the stream, which was 
well up the flanks of the horses, when the enemy dis- 
charged another volley of musketry into the ranks of 
our advancing troops, wounding Major Foreman and 
several men seriously, so seriously that they were ob- 
liged to be taken to the rear. This casualty caused a 



324 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

momentary halt in the stream, but not a retreat. The 
enemy were not allowed to gain any advantage by it, 
for a steady stream of grape and canister was poured 
into them by our batteries, and the colored infantry, 
which had not yet entered the stream, were formed 
along the bank, and also discharged volley after vol- 
ley into their ranks, whenever they attempted to move 
towards the opposite ford. A few moments after Ma- 
jor Foreman was wounded and taken to the rear, 
Captain Stewart of the Ninth Kansas cavalry marched 
to the front with his company, with drawn sabers, and 
when his horses had passed the deepest water, dashed 
forward and reached the south bank. The Indian cav- 
alry, detachments of the battalion of the Sixth Kan- 
sas cavalry, and the colored regiment followed in close 
order, and quickly reached the south bank, and formed 
in line, in echelon. The battery stationed at the left 
base of the inverted ^ was directed now to play upon 
the enemy, directly in front and to the left, and the 
battery stationed at the right base was directed to play 
upon the enemy directly in front, and to the right, in- 
stead of the two lines of fire converging to a point 
some distance south of the south ford. The troops 
formed in line, the bugle sounded forward, and Cap- 
tain Stewart led the cavalry, and Colonel "Williams the 
colored infantry, with fixed bayonets. No angry 
stream now separated the contending forces, and when 
the enemy saw our troops approaching them in double 
quick time with glittering bayonets and flashing sabres, 
they made a few feeble efibrts to stand, but soon broke 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 325 

and could not be rallied. Immediately after our troops 
reached the south bank of the stream and formed in 
line, they commenced a brisk fire upon the enemy at 
short range, and drove tliem from their improvised 
defences in less than ten minutes. But they retreated 
only about three hundred yards, and commenced to 
form again. Our troops followed them steadily vi^ith 
lines formed as perfectly as on drill, and poured vol- 
ley after volley into their ranks, as rapidly as the men 
could load and fire, and move forward. Wlien the en- 
emy attempted to form his last line, our troops were 
perhaps less than one hundred and fifty yards from 
him. Then it was that the bugles sounded the charge, 
and our troops rushed forward impetuously, and swept 
the field like a storm. 

When the colored soldiers discharged their last vol- 
ley, and then started forward on the double quick, the 
long line of bristling bayonets they displayed were 
not allowed to approach nearer than fifty yards of the 
enemy, when he turned and fled in great disorder. 
Captain Stewart, who had led the cavalry in the charge 
at another point, dashed into the ranks of the enemy, 
and many felt the eager points or edges of the swords 
of his men. The route of the enemy was complete. 
Captain Stewart, with all the cavalry pursued them for 
five miles south, cutting and shooting them down in 
great numbers. It is the almost universal opinion of 
officers and soldiers, that had not our troops been 
hampered with the care of the large train, they could 
have captured or destroyed the entire force of the 



326 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

enemy; and Captain Stewart thinks that had it not been 
inadvisable to leave the train too far, he could with the 
cavalry which he had, have captured most of the enemy 
in the course of a few hours. But our officers learned on 
the same evening that the train and escort arrived on 
the heights of Cabin Creek, that General Cabell, with 
fifteen hundred cavalry and four pieces of artillery, had 
arrived at Grand Saline, three miles east of Cabin 
Creek, on the east bank of Grand River, the day be- 
fore, and was unable to cross and join General Coop- 
er's divisions on account of high water. It is likely 
that General Cabell was to have had command of the 
entire rebel force, as there was no General officer with 
the rebel force that our troops fought. Colonels Stand- 
waitie and Mcintosh's Indian regiments, and the 
27lh and 29th Texas mounted regiments, were the 
rebel troops with whom we had to contend. We heard 
that General Cooper's assistant adjutant general, did 
moie than any other officers to hold the rebel forces 
together. Standwaitie, with three men, is reported to 
have left the field very soon after our troops crossed 
Cabin Creek, and to have swam Grand River, some 
seven or eight miles to the southeast. Several other 
detachments attempted to swim the river at other 
points. If the i?nemy could have detained our troops 
and train at Cabin Creek another day. General Cabell 
would probably have been able to cross Grand 
River with his force, and to have joined in the 
engagement. 

After the rout of the enemy, it is not believed that 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 327 

they made a halt north of the Arkansas river, so much 
were they demoralized. 

We may now glance a moment over the field at the 
casualties. I have already mentioned the wounding 
of Major Foreman; and of the cavalry under him, 
there were four enlisted men killed, ten wounded and 
eight missing. Captain Stewart's company "C," 
Ninth Kansas cavalry, had one man killed, three 
wounded slightly, and one seriously. Colonel Wil- 
liams' colored regiment had one officer and twelve en- 
listed men wounded. Three of tiie colored soldiers 
were mortally wounded and died on the field. It is 
supposed that the loss of the enemy in killed and 
wounded must be upwards of a hundred, as they were 
exposed to grape and canister and shrapnel for some 
time before they could open fire upon our troops with 
any effect; and also while our forces were crossing the 
stream, and forming in the apex on the south bank. 
They must also have suffered severely from the galling 
fire of the colored soldiers, after they passed the stream, 
formed, and moved forward in line. In crossing the 
stream, the colored infantry were obliged to unfasten 
their belts, so as to hold their carti idge boxes above 
the water, which came up to their armpits. The whole 
plan of dislodging the enemy, and driving him from 
his strong position, was skillfully conceived and mag- 
nificently and boldly executed. A military genius 
would not have conceived a better and more success- 
ful plan. To whom we are mostly indebted for the 
success of our arms, it would be difficult to say, where 



328 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

every one performed liis duty so nobly. The enemy 
against whom we have been operating this spring and 
summer, are now doubtless satisfied that "niggers" 
can fight, and fight bravely under "yankee" officers. 
The Texas soldiers, if they had felt inclined to wait a 
few moments when Colonel Williams was leading the 
chai'ge of his colored regiment, might have had an op- 
portunity of seeing the fire in the eyes of the colored 
soldiers. But men who once delighted to ply the lash to 
the backs of colored men were now extremely anxious 
to get out of sight of these same colored men as quickly 
as possible. A beautiful thought to my mind comes 
up in connection with this first regular engagement, 
participated in by the colored troops. They in effect 
say, "we are willing to meet on the field, man for man, 
in defence of our freedom and our rights." 

Our killed having been buried, and the wounded 
taken up and provided for as well as possible, the 
train, guard and artillery moved out and crossed Cabin 
Creek after twelve o'clock. The escort continued to 
move with great caution, as it was not known but that 
the enemy might receive reinforcements and attempt 
to make another stand, as there are two rather strong- 
positions between Cabin Creek and Fort Gibson. But 
our cavalry on the flanks noticed that the trails of the 
enemy through the high prairie grass did not point to 
either of the positions from which an attack would 
most likely be made if intended. It was ascertained 
that the enemy, after the engagement, broke up into 
detachments; and that a good many attempted to 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 329 

swim Grand Kiver with their horses for fear of being 
cut off by our troops if they endeavored to reach the 
Arkansas. The men and horses seen floating in the 
river opposite the fort yesterday are suj)posed to have 
belonged to the enemy, and were doubtless drowned in 
attempting to cross Grand River on the last day of the 
engagement at Cabin Creek. 



CHAPTEK XYII. 

The Federal supply train returns to Fort Scott — The Battalion of 
the Sixth Kansas Cavalry and the author accompany it — Colo- 
nel Phillips commended for his successful military operations 
— Federal troops with which author has acted for two years 
have been uniformly successful — The colored soldiers anxious 
to meet the enemy — Their physical endurance — Well adapted 
to campaigning in warm climate — Colonel Phillips will be 
able to cross the Arkansas river and attack General Cooper — 
Large quantities of hay should be put up at Fort Gibson — 
Salt works at Grand Saline — Families of English blood cling 
to their homesteads — On the march up the beautiful Grand 
River country — Looking out for General Cabell's force — The 
escort meets General Blunt at Cabin Creek — Examination of 
the battle-field — Active operations to be commenced against 
General Cooper immediately— The train and escort pass the 
section of Livingston's operations — Arrival at Fort Scott, 

The supply train started back to Fort Scott July 
7tli, and as tlie battalion of the Sixth Kansas cavalry, 
which has been with Colonel Phillips' division of this 
command since the first of last January, was ordered 
to accompany the train as a part of its escort, my 
chronicles of the operations of the Federal troops in 
the Indian Territory will not hereafter be so full as 
usual. As my duties may take me to some other field, 
or so far away that I will not be conscious of all that 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 331 

is going on here, a little review of the past six months 
may be of some interest. In looking back over this 
period, the first thought that comes into my mind is, 
that Colonel Phillips has shown remarkable executive 
ability in the management of the troops of his division. 
And we feel quite sure that no graduate of West Point 
could have been found who would have displayed 
greater military sagacity than our commander, Col- 
onel Phillips, in the handling of troops, in seizing 
advantageous positions, and in meeting all the contin- 
gencies liable to arise in administering the affairs of a 
large district like his. From the time that this division 
left the Army of the Frontier at Elm Springs, he has 
gained in popularity with his troops and the people 
within his military jurisdiction. With every possible 
shade of humanity flocking to his camp, he maintain- 
ed a tone of moral order that would be creditable to 
the best organized army unencumbered with such 
difficulties. His lines of march have nowhere been 
marked by the smoking ruins of destroyed towns. I 
do not believe that half a dozen houses have been 
burned during the last six months by his troops in 
southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas, and in the 
Indian nation. When his troops left northwest Arkan- 
sas the latter part of winter, I will venture the belief 
that many rebel families even regretted it, for he 
respected their persons, and such property as they 
possessed, as was not needed for army use. I have 
already stated that they exchanged their chickens, 
eggs, milk, butter, &c., with our soldiers for certain of 



332 MEMOIKS OF THE REBELLION 

their surplus rations. By great care and diligence he 
prevented the small-pox from spreading among our 
troops early last March. He has kindled among the 
Indians such a strong feeling of friendship for the 
Government, that their women ride sixt}^ miles to in- 
form him of the movements of rebel troops. And 
this spring and summer he has displayed conspicuous 
bravery at Webber's Falls, the Rapid Ford, and in the 
engagement with the enemy on the morning of the 25tli 
May, when they attacked our train four miles northwest 
of Fort Gibson. His marching here and seizing this post 
in the face of a large force of the enemy, was a master 
mc»vement which the military critic would be especial- 
ly happy to dwell upon, had he been commanding 
troops in a section where military operations are con- 
ducted on a larger scale. And his holding this place 
against the forces of two Generals of the enemy, dur- 
ing the most trying season of the year, would afford 
thought for further words of commendation. If the 
Government intends that promotions sliall be earned 
by meritorious services, his promotion should not now 
be long delayed. I doubt whether another officer of 
his rank can be found in the service who has been 
entrusted with a command of equal importance, and 
who has accomplished so much. When we hear that 
the Generals around Washington, without commands, 
are almost numerous enough to make a battalion, we 
feel the injustice of the Government, in neglecting to 
properly reward him for his meritorious services, more 
keenly than we might otherwise do. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 333: 

It is a rather pleasant reflection that the troops- 
with which I have acted for two years, less one month,, 
have never met with a single reverse, though we have 
repeatedly marched up and down the border from the 
Missouri E-iver to the Arkansas Eiver, and had nu- 
merous contests with the enemy. When we came into- 
this country early in the spring, we did not feel sure 
that Colonel Phillips would be able to hold it with the 
force which he then had under him. And when Colonel 
Harrison, without sufficient cause, withdrew his troops 
from Fayetteville, and retreated to Cassville, Missouri, 
we felt sure that the pressure of the enemy would be 
still greater to force us from this position. We have 
not only held our position, but we have defeated the 
enemy in every engagement; even where he had the 
choosing of time and position in several instances. 
In fact, the military operations in this Territory under 
Colonel Phillips, since we came here in the springs 
have been as brilliant and successful as our campaign 
under General Blunt, in northwestern Arkansas, last 
fall. 

Assistant Adjutant General Gallaher, an officer who- 
has honored me with his friendship, has kindly an- 
swered questions that I have sometimes put to him,, 
in regard to points upon which I was not fully advis- 
ed. I have not, however, drawn on him very often 
for information. 

It is likely now that active operations will be com- 
menced against the enemy on the south side of the 
Arkansas shortly. We have a sufficient number of 



33J: MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

trooj)s, and artillery enough to march out and attack 
them in their camp ; and unless they stand firmer 
than they have done in all the recent contests in this 
section, we shall rout them completely. I have talk- 
ed with some of the colored soldiers, and they seem 
anxious to meet the enemy on an open field. They 
said that the other day, at Cabin Creek, they expect- 
ed to have an opportunity of letting their bayonets 
drink a little rebel blood, but that the enemy were 
not inclined to grant them this privilege. These col- 
ored soldiers say that they have heard that the enemy 
are furious for the blood of those neofroes who have 
gone into the " Yankee " service, and that they have 
come down here to give the rebels an opportunity of 
satiating themselves with their blood. But they are 
convinced that there will be as much rebel as negro 
blood spilt, when the time comes for the enemy to 
slake his thirst for blood. With their slave clothes 
they have thrown off the slave caste of expressi )n. 
They are armed with one of the most recently im- 
proved patterns of musket, and they have been drill- 
ed until they can handle them, in going through the 
manual, as gracefully and with as much ease as almost 
any of our white troops. Had there not been a pre- 
judice against them going into the field with the 
white troops, they would probably have been to the 
front long ere this. Though they had not acted with 
the white troops until they left Baxter Springs ten 
days ago, they have, nevertheless, seen considerable 
service at different stations along the border. Most of 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 335 

them were brongnt up m Missouri and are quite in- 
telligent — far more intelligent than plantation hands. 
They are strong built, and in size are fully up to the 
average of our white soldiers, and in regard to endur- 
ance, particularly in a warm climate, I doubt whether 
our white soldiers, or even those of the enemy, can 
compete with them. Indeed it is their capacity lor 
endurance that has contributed in keeping them in 
slavery so long. Perhaps their masters never once 
thought that this capacity for endurance would be 
turned to advantage in gaining their freedom, as it is 
likely to be from now on until the close of the war. 
There are sections of the south where the climate will 
be very unfavorable for our northern troops during a 
summer campaign. But colored troops who are accli- 
mated, can occupy such regions without detriment to 
their health, and without increasing the percentage of 
mortality by sickness. All this the rebel leaders 
failed to take into account when they made war on the 
Government and attempted te secede. 

In view of the prospective active operations soon 
to be commenced, it would be more agreeable to my 
feelings to remain with this command a while longer. 
As Colonel Phillips has shown his ability to hold all 
the country north of the Arkansas, except as to caval- 
ry raids of the enemy, with his three Indian regi- 
ments, and one battery, and one battalion of white 
troops, we do not doubt but that, with the additional 
troops now here, he will be able to carry our arms be- 
yond the Canadian Kiver, and sweep around and cap- 



336 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

ture Fort Smith. This would be the natural plan of 
operations, whether it is carried out or not. Whoever 
may command our troops in this section will hardly 
be satisfied to remain inactive north of the Arkansas 
during the balance of the summer and autumn. Un- 
less some disposition has been made of the troops in 
southwest Missouri, of which we have not heard, a 
force almost equal to ours here, we believe might 
easily be concentrated at Cassville in a short time, 
and marched down the western border counties of 
Arkansas to Yan Buren, and form a junction with the 
forces under Colonel Phillips at Fort Smith. 

The principal object of the battalion of the Sixth 
Kansas cavalry accompanying the train through to 
Fort Scott, is to have the dismounted men furnished 
with remounts at as early a day as practicable. A 
good many men of the four companies of this battalion 
lost their horses on the 20th of May, when the enemy 
made a raid on our herds near this post. Others have 
lost their horses for want of forage, and by being worn 
out in the service by constant scouting and marching. 
Detachments from this battalion have accompanied 
nearly all the reconnoissances sent out since we have 
been with this division. We have not been able to 
act in a body, for the reason that we have been called 
upon to furnish detachments for reconnoissances go- 
ing in this direction and in that, and for guards at 
the fords along the Arkansas. There are no horses 
in this country suitable for cavalry service; and we 
are really deficient in that arm of the service. The 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 337 

commanding officer here will probably have large 
quantities of good prairie hay put up this fall at this 
post, so that there will be no necessity for our animals 
running down so much in flesh another season, even 
if the service shall be as arduous as it has been this 
season. When the enemy shall have been driven 
south towards Red River, as they doubtless will be 
before autumn, unless part of our force is ordered to 
some other Held, if the government Avould send down 
here, from Fort Scott, half a dozen mowing machines 
and hands to work them, all the hay required for ani- 
mals at this post could be put up in a month or so. 
There should be no unnecessary delay in attending to 
the matter, as the season is near at hand for putting 
up hay. Excellent prairie grass can be found within 
ten miles of this post on the west side of Grand 
River. With most of our troops south of the Arkan- 
sas, a very strong guard would not be required to pro- 
tect the workmen; and government trains could be 
used to haul the hay in, to be put up in large ricks. 
The corn and oat rations, however, will have to be 
transported here from the north. The Indians raised 
some wheat this season, but have in cultivation but 
very little corn; not more than enough for their own 
consumption. The season has been favorable for corn 
crops, and the yield would have been heavy had a 
large acreage been planted and given proper attention. 
Though the Indians have a line country, and were 
considered to be in good circumstances before the war, 
this wealth consisted mostlv of stock, lands and 
22 



338 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

money. They have never raised a surphis of cereals, 
and some seasons not sufficient for their own use; 
for traders among them in ante-bellujn times brought 
large quantities of salt, as well as cattle, ponies and 
peltries, into Missouri to exchange for corn, flour, etc. 
Their teams, also, frequently came without being load- 
ed with commodities for exchange, but brought gold 
to make their purchases. Whilst occupying this rich 
country our troops will be able to get but Httle out of 
it to contribute to their support, with the exception 
of hay and fresh beef. The salt works, however, 
might be re-opened at Grand Saline, but the expense 
of working and protecting the workmen operating 
them would, perhaps, be more than the cost of trans- 
portation on salt from the east. Now in the States 
the white families, consisting of the old men, women 
and children, both union and rebel, have generally 
stuck to their homesteads, when they have not been 
burned, and endeavored to raise the same kinds of 
products that were raised on their farms in former 
times; but, of course, in smaller quantities and num- 
bers. From what I have seen, I believe that the no- 
madic and pastoral tendencies are almost entirely ex- 
tinguished in the English race. Wherever I have 
seen a family whose faces showed their English blood, 
I have seen this strong attachment for the homestead. 
If the calamities of war have destroyed their dwell- 
ings, they have, in many instances, moved into the 
smoke-house, or barn with such effects as they were 
able to preserve. To those brought up with the usual 



ON THE BORDER-1883. 339 

notions of country life, there are many hallowed asso- 
ciations that generally cling around the homestead. 
Fathers and mothers, for instance, recall the earlier per- 
iods of their lives, when they struggled against adver- 
sity, and when their children, some of whom may be 
away in the army, played upon the green sward around 
them, or climbed the peach, apple and clierry trees to 
assist in gathering these fruits. Or to take one case 
out of many similar ones, it may be that the parents 
now getting advanced in years, have lost a child, a 
bright little fellow, whose memory is still cherished. 
A child buried in a sacred spot upon the homestead or 
in the little cemetery near by, increases the attach- 
ment for the old home where they have passed the 
greater part of their lives. With us the affections for 
our departed relatives and friends are not so transi- 
tory as among the Indians. They display emotions of 
grief when a near relative is sticken down by death, 
the same as we do, but I am told that such grief is 
o-enerally more evanescent than with us. I believe, 
therefore, that it is less difficult for an army to occupy 
a region inhabited by a people whose home attach- 
ments are very strong, than a country like this in 
which the people have less settled habits of life. 

No one could -have easily believed, if he had seen 
our Indian soldiers a year ago, that they could have 
been brought under such discipline, as to make them 
such efficient soldiers as they liave recently shown 
themselves to be under Colonel Phillips. When I 
saw hundreds of men, women and children, bathing 



31:0 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

perfectly nude in the Neosho River a little over a 
year ago, the thought never entered my mind that the 
men could be used as soldiers to fight an enem}^, ex- 
cept Indians of the same character. But under Col- 
onel Phillips, these same Indians, during the spring 
and summer, have contended successfully, and in point 
of numbers, less than man for man, mainly with white 
troops of the enemy. Were it not for the white troops 
of the enemy, there would now be no armed resistance 
to the authority of the Government in this whole re- 
gion, so skillfully has Colonel Phillips managed the 
Indian aifairs of this Territory. 

The commissary train finished unloading on the 6th, 
and was all ferried over Grand Piver during the night, 
to be in readiness to start north early on the morning 
of the 7th. The crossing was slow and tedious, as the 
trains were obliged to be taken over on flat boats at- 
tached to ropes stretched across the river. It would 
be a great convenience if we had a steam ferry at this 
post, when the river is high. It is not likely, how- 
ever, that one will get here until the Arkansas Piver 
is opened to navigation to its mouth. 

In a few days I shall have quite different sur- 
roundings, though, in a military point of view, I can- 
not say more pleasant ones. It has been some pleasure 
to chronicle the steady progress of our arms, under 
such great disadvantages as we have had to contend 
with, and to feel conscious that our commander has 
not made a single mistake, during the six months that 
we have had our eyes upon him. The importance of 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 341 

this position is now recognized by higher authorities, 
and there is no thought of abandoning it. Nor is 
this all. It will be a point from which expeditions 
will be fitted out to operate in that section south of 
the Arkansas, lyipg in the direction of the Hed River. 
From this time on the enemy will probably ce&^se to 
play around us, as they have been doing during the 
past summer and spring. 

I shall miss the continual picket firing, that has 
sounded in our ears during the spring and summer, 
with the exception of a few days' intermission, from 
along the banks of the Arkansas. As I have been 
with that portion of our troops occupying the most 
advanced positions in the enemy's country, over a year 
without a break, I shall hardly feel at home for a 
while, removed from the field of active operations. If 
I am to keep up my Chronicles of the Rebellion on the 
Border, it would be better that I should remain with 
the most active division of the army. 

A few days more will take us to Kansas, where we 
shall see a larger sprinkling of white faces than we 
have been accustomed to see here, provided that the 
enemy has not decided to make an efibrt to capture our 
empty train, since he failed to take it loaded. One 
section of Hopkins' battery and detachments from the 
Second Colorado, and the Indian regiments, will also 
accompany the train forty or fifty miles, and even 
further north if deemed necessary. 

The train and escort left the west side of Grand 
River, opposite Fort Blunt, on the morning of the 



342 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

Ttli, and marched to Flat Rock Creek, twenty miles. 

Strong flanking parties were kept out during tlie 
day, and the most recent signs of the enemy we saw 
were his trails going south, probably from the field of 
his defeat at Cabin Creek, on the 2nd instant. It was 
deemed advisable, however, to move cautiously until 
we passed Cabin Creek, as it was not known but that 
General Cabell might have crossed Grand River at 
Grand Saline, with his force, with the view of attack- 
ing the train on its return. Flat Rock is familiar to 
most of us, as we were encamped here two weeks in 
the latter part of July, last year. It was from this 
point that the "Indian Expedition," returned to South- 
ern Kansas, from whence we marched to Lone Jack via 
Fort Scott, a distance of over two hundred miles. 

We met General Blunt, ,July 9thj with a force of 
about four hundred men, under command of Colonel 
Judson, of the Sixth Kansas cavalry. He also had two 
twelve poimder mountain howitzers attached to the 
sixth, and two six pound field pieces, under Captain 
E. A. Smith. He left Fort Scott only three days ago, 
and has marched in this time one hundred and twenty 
miles. As soon as the report that the enemy had at- 
tacked our escort to the train on the 1st instant reached 
him, he started out on a forced march. He will have 
to tone himself down a little very shortly in regard 
to rapid marches, over long distances, or his cavalry 
horses will be run down, and unfit for active service^ 
before his soldiers have an opportunity of meeting the 
enemy on the field. He will have when he arrives at 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 343 

Fort Blunt (Gibson), eight field pieces and four how- 
itzers, and between three and four thousand cavalry and 
infantry — quite an effective little army. If properly 
handled, this little army will be able to drive the ene- 
my from his ppesent position and to capture Fort Smith, 
unless it has recently been strengthened by increasing 
the garrison, or building new fortifications. It is Gen- 
eral Blunt's intention to move against General Cooper 
immediately on his arrival at Gibson. Those who 
know General Blunt, do not doubt his fighting quali- 
ties. It is safe, therefore, to predict that the enemy 
will be obliged to fight very shortly, or retreat from 
their camp on Elk Creek. General Cooper would not 
likely be able to hold his present position undisturbed 
many days longer, even if General Blunt were not on 
the way to Gibson, for, as I have already stated, we 
had reasons for believing that it was the intention of 
Colonel Phillips, as soon as the force which he has 
sent to this point, or perhaps to Horse Creek, twenty 
miles further north, with the train, returns, to cross 
the Arkansas, and attack General Cooper in his camp. 
Those who have been with Colonel Phillips will be- 
lieve that he should have control of whatever move- 
ment is made against the enemy, and that to him 
should belong the praise or blame of its success or 
failure. But that he would be able to rout the 
enemy, there can be scarcely a shadow of doubt. 
If General Blunt goes on now to Gibson, and 
takes the troops there, and attacks and routs the 
enemy, his friends will no doubt claim for him 



344 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

all the glory, though he will not be justly entitled 
to it. 

I spent a little time in looking over the field of the 
engagements of 1st and 2nd instant, during the few 
hours the train stopped there. The position of the en- 
emy was even stronger than I had supposed, and it is 
a little surprising that they should have given it up 
without a harder struggle than they made. 

From reports that have reached us since we left 
Gibson, we have expected that we should be obliged to 
fight General Cabell's force in this vicinity. We heard 
that his command was encamped not more than ten or 
fifteen miles from Cabin Creek, on the east side of 
Grand Kiver. 

We went into camp, on the Neosho Kiver, on the 
lOtb. The escort under Lieutenant Colonel Dole re- 
turned to Fort Gibson on the evening of the 9th, 
having accompanied us fifteen miles north of Cabin 
Creek. The crossing of the Neosho River is just 
about half way ])etween Forts Scott and Gibson. The 
only trouble north of this point to be apprehended is 
from guerrillas. Livingston operates through this 
section-, and is now reported to have about two hun- 
dred efiective men. He was at Sherwood, Missouri, 
about ten miles northeast of Baxter Springs, a few 
days ago, and is perhaps watching for our train. The 
train and escort left Neosho River on the morning of 
the 11th, and, after marching leisurely, passed B.-ixter 
Springs about three o'clock. We went into camp 
early on Brush Creek, about six miles north of Baxter 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 345 

Springs. We were at that point not more than seven 
or eight miles from Livingston's old headquarters. 

When we crossed the State line, and passed into 
Kansas, about a mile south of Baxter Springs, I sa- 
luted with reverence the State that has to me always 
represented a principle, a principle, too, involving the 
very essence of progress. 

We have been out of the State nearly eleven months, 
and I am sure that others felt as I did, when they first 
stepped upon her soil. This, the southeast por- 
tion of the State, is a fine section, and will be densely 
settled within a few years, after the hostile forces on 
both sides of the line shall liave sheathed their swords, 
and peace shall reign over the land. 



CHAPTEK XYIII. 

The battalion of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry to remain at Fort Scott 
a few weeks — News of the battle of Gettysburg and surrender 
of Vicksburg and Port Hudson — Remarks on the pro- 
gress of the Federal arms — Backbone of the Confederacy 
broken — Frequent contests between the State Militia and 
guerrilas in Southwest Missouri — Guerrilla warfare leads to 
retaliation and personal grudges — Major Livingston, the 
guerrilla leader, killed by the Missouri Militia — Remarks on 
the nature of his operations — Colonel Crittenden, command- 
ing the Militia in Southwest Missouri, after the enemy — Colo- 
nel Cloud on the march to Fayetteville— General Blunt attacks 
General Cooper's army at Honey Springs— Preparations for 
the battle — Furious charge of the Federal troops — Complete 
rout of the enemy and capture of one piece of artilleiy, col- 
ors and prisoners — General Cabell came up after the battle 
was over. 

The train and escort, composed of the battalion of 
the Sixth Kansas cavalry, arrived at Fort Scott July 
14th. We shall remain here a few weeks, subject to 
the orders of Major Blair, the Post Commander. In 
the meantime, the dismounted men of the battalion 
will be remounted upon fresh animals, and those who 
have brought their horses through will draw full ra- 
tions of forage for them for a few weeks, which will 
greatlv improve their condition. There is a strong con- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 34T 

trast between our sun -faded and badly worn uniforms 
and the bright new uniforms of most of the soldiers, 
around this post. The fields of growing corn and 
harvested grain, and herds upon a thousand hills, 
make us feel that we have come into a land of peace 
and plenty. It would be difficult to find four compa- 
nies that have seen harder service than this battalion' 
during the last year. 

Coming here is almost like entering a new world. 
E'ews reaches us of the operations of our armies in the 
east, in Tennessee and along the Mississippi River, of 
not more than two days old. We have just heard of 
the great battle of Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania, on the 
1st, 2d and 3d instant, and the defeat of the rebel army 
under General Lee; and of the capture of Yicksburg, 
Mississippi, by General Grant, on the 4th instant, with. 
27,000 prisoners, 128 pieces of artillery, eighty siege 
guns, and arms and ammunition for 60,000 men. We 
also hear that Port Hudson, below Yicksburg, on the 
Mississippi, has surrendered to General Banks since 
the fall of Yicksburg, with between eight or ten 
thousand prisoners, fifty to sixty pieces of artillery^ 
small arms for fifteen thousand men, and large quanti- 
ties of quartermaster's, commissary and ordnance 
stores. The Mississippi Kiver is now open to naviga- 
tion from St. Paul to the Gulf of Mexico. The fall 
of Yicksburg and Port Hudson cuts the Confederacy 
nearly through the middle, and the leaders of the re- 
bellion must now see that their cause is utterly hope- 
less. We have broken the enemy's lines from Gettys-^ 



348 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

burg to Cabin Greek this month, and unless some of 
our military commanders make a series of great blun- 
ders, the destruction of all the rebel armies cannot be 
delayed longer than a year or so. Those who have 
predicted that the war for the Union would be a fail- 
ure, should now begin to see their mistake if they do 
not desire it to be a failure. There will no doubt be 
as hard fighting yet as we have already had; for since 
the enemy holds no strong position in the west, he can 
use all his forces in the field, and act on the offensive 
instead of on the defensive. He can send flying col- 
umns of his troops here and there, and cause a great 
deal of annoyance to such divisions of our armies as are 
occupying advanced positions. And he may also be 
able to make cavalrj?- raids far into the rear of our 
armies. To keep our lines of communication open 
from the Ohio River to the southern line of Tennessee 
and central Mississippi, is no small task for our troops. 
"While the enemy in Georgia, Alabama and Missis- 
sippi, are not hampered in their movements by defend- 
ing important points, our troops are occupying so 
much of their territory that they will, very likely, soon 
find it difficult to draw supplies for their large armies. 
The first two years of the war the negroes produced 
most of their supplies, and performed a good deal of 
the drudgery for their troops. This season, however, 
the negroes are not only not raising crops for the enemy 
and assisting him in various ways, but they are actu- 
ally fighting their old masters with muskets in their 
hands. With the exception of portions of the Caro- 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 849* 

linas and Georgia and Alabama, the male negroes 
have probably already mostly escaped from tlieir mas- 
ters, and are rapidly enlisting into the Union army, 
and singing songs of deliverance from their cruel bon- 
dage. The rebel leaders have not probably calculated 
the extent they vrould be weakened by the slavehold- 
ers losing their slaves. Indeed, they do not seem to 
have set up their men on the military chess-board at 
all before commencing hostilities, but have plunged 
blindly into the conflict. If they thought that the 
slaves would not strike for their freedom the first op- 
portunity, they were surely very short-sighted. The 
institution for which the Southern States have at- 
tempted to secede and keep alive, is now practically 
dead. But the death-throes of a monster may deceive 
those who only look at the surface of things. Yery 
few people of the South, in their sober minds, care but 
little about independence without the institution of 
slavery is kept alive. It is really painful to think 
that there are so many good people who are incompe- 
tent to examine introspectively what a great moral 
wrong slavery is. It can be accounted for by self-in- 
terest and education through generations. We are 
fighting to wipe out this great moral wrong, and the 
South is fighting to perpetuate it. We gradually gain 
strength the more this question is discussed and talked 
about. The South gradually loses by the same means. 
A moral principle will bear discussion and a thorough 
examination; but an immoral one will not. Evil do- 
ers wish to keep their evil actions in the dark. 



350 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

While still keeping my eye on the army under 
General Blunt and Colonel Phillips, I shall, during 
my stay at this place, give more attention than I have 
hitherto done to the operations of onr troops along 
the border counties of Missouri, Kansas and Arkan- 
sas. 

A small party of our soldiers who have just arrived 
from Neosho and Carthage in southwest Missouri, 
report that the militia are actively engaged in that 
section in fighting and chasing bushwhackers and 
guerrillas. Scarcely a day passes that a contest 
does not take place between the belligerent parties. 
On the 13th instant a man was killed near Granby. 
It was at first supposed that he was murdered by some 
"of the Missouri militia stationed at Newtonia or Neo- 
sho. He had been out harvesting, and shortly after 
returning home in the evening, two men, supposed to 
liave been bushwhackers, rode up, and claiming to 
belong to the Seventh Missouri militia, called him out, 
shot him down, and then quickly left. This is a fair 
sample of the manner in which the war is carried on 
in Missouri by the enemy. It sometimes leads to 
bloody retaliation, for we occasionally hear of a rebel 
civilian who has been mysteriously murdered. All acts 
of private war should be discountenanced as much as 
possible, for if it were extensively carried on in those 
States where the people are nearly equally divided in 
their sentiments for and against the Union, the bitter- 
ness, hatred and feelings of revenge which it now 
engenders, would continue between families of differ- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 35]^ 

ent nei^liborhouds, long after peace shall liave been 
concluded between the Government and the rebellions 
sections. Where men have entered either army, and 
are willing that the cause which they have espoused 
shall be submitted to the arbitrament of battle, they 
have no personal feelings against individuals, or pri- 
vate grudges against their neighbors calling for revenge. 
:N'o high-minded soldier ever wounds the feelings of pris- 
oners whom he has helped to capture in battle, by apply- 
ing to them reproachful epithets. But if we take two 
neighbors, one of whom enters the Union army and 
remains away from his home daring the war, and the 
other a rebel, who stays around his home during the 
war and depredates upon the property of his Union 
neighbor, and they both return to their respective 
homes after the war, we cannot reasonably expect that 
very friendly relations will ever exist between them. 
The rebels have too often acted as if they expected to 
have everything their own way in the future; as if the 
Union people had no rights which they were bound 
to respect, and as if their property would be confiscat- 
ed in a few years. ]SJow that the downfall of the Con- 
lederacy cannot be delayed to a very distant day, unless 
almost a miracle should intervene in its behalf, those 
rebels who were counting upon the confiscation of the 
property of Union prisoners with so much self-satis- 
faction, aro perhaps beginning to regret their hasty 
actions. They perhaps also regret that they have fre- 
quently been so forward in pointing out the property 
of Union citizens for seizure by the rebel armies. 



352 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

Information reached this post the 16th, which i& 
regarded as reliable, that Livingston was killed about 
two days ago at Stockton, sixty miles southeast of here, 
by the Missouri State militia. It seems that Livings- 
ton was leading a charge of about two hundred and 
fifty men against a small force of the militia posted in 
a brick house, and that w4ien the enemy came within 
range of their carbines, they delivered a volley into 
them, killing Livingston and three or four of his men, 
besides wounding several. The rebels, after the loss of 
their leader, retreated, and will not likely be so trouble- 
some in that section very soon. It is the hardest blow 
the guerrillas of that section have received during the 
war. Major Tom Livingston, as he has generally been 
called, has operated in Newton, Jasper and Barton 
counties, Missouri, since early in the war. Our troops 
have had a great many contests with him, with varying 
results. Small detachments of Federal troops have 
found it difficult to pass through the section in which 
he operated, so thoroughly has he guarded all the 
passes and roads. And during the past two years he 
has killed and captured quite a number of our soldiers. 
But, as stated in another place, he has not been accused 
of murdering any of our soldiers that he has taken as 
prisoners, with the exception of one or two colored 
soldiers that he captured last spring in the vicinity of 
Spring River. Colonel Williams retaliated by shooting 
an equal number of rebel prisoners which he had cap- 
tured and held, and then informed Livingston what he 
had done. Sometime after this occurrence Livingston's- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863 353 

force captured several other colored soldiers, but did 
not order them shot. They were exchanged man for 
man for rebel prisoners. Only by severe measures can 
most rebel officers be brought to listen to the appeals of 
justice. But that which has made Livingston's name 
so familiar to every one along the border, is the suc- 
cess with which he has so often eluded our forces when 
sent in search of him. Time and again expeditions 
of cavalry have been sent into Jas})er county for the 
purpose of capturing or driving him out of that sec- 
tion. Some of the expeditions have scouted the Spring 
River country thoroughly for several days without find- 
ing any of his men. Others have had skirmishes with 
some of his men, who have generally quickly disap- 
peared, not to be found again. The country along Spring 
River is thickly clothed with y« 'ung timber, or woods, 
and affords many excellent hiding places for guerrillas 
and outlaws. While he has not captured or destroyed 
much Government property, he has kept the enemy in 
our front well advised of our movements in this sec- 
tion. Before the recent battle at Cabin Creek, General 
Cooper's troops seemed to be as well informed of the 
movements of our train and escort as we were. Last 
year detachments of the Sixth Kansas cavalry chased 
and skirmished with him a good deal, and it was 
reported and believed that he wore a steel breast plate 
or something that was bullet-proof. I have heard not 
less than three men of our regiment say that they took 
deliberate aim at him with their carbines at short range, 
and wrre satisfied that they struck liim: but that the 
23 



35 i MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

•carbine balls were turned aside by something impenetra- 
ble whicli he wore. In Homeric times the soldiers 
would have said that some goddess turned aside the 
death-dealing missiles. Rebel citizens say that Colo- 
nel Coffey is expected in southwest Missouri soon, to 
take command of Livingston's force. But he will not 
^nake such a successful leader as Livingston has been. 

On the 17th inst. Colonel Crittenden, commanding 
at Newtonia, sent out two hundred mounted militia 
in the direction of Carthage and Spring River, with 
the determination ol driving Livingston's old band out 
of that section. This force had a skirmish with the 
€nemy in whicli four rebels were killed and one of the 
militia wounded. The next day a trail some distance 
•south of the place where the skirmish occurred was 
discovered, and it is believed that the larger portion of 
the guerrilla force of that section have gone south. 
Major Burch, commanding a battalion of the Eighth 
Missouri militia cavalry at Neosho, has been displaying 
great activity lately in scouting the country for a 
distance of twenty-five miles north, west and south of 
his station. He is regarded as a brave and very effi- 
cient officerj and the guerrillas will doubtless prefer to 
keep a safe distance from his troops. His soldiers are 
well mounted and armed, and know the country as 
well as the enemy. 

Colonel Cloud, with most of his regiment, the Second 
Xansas cavalry, and two or three Arkansas regiments, 
were at Cassville on the 18th instant, and are expected 
to move south towards Fayette ville and Yan Buren 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 355 

in a few days, with the view of co-operating with 
General Bhmt, who recently went down to take com- 
mand of the troops at Fort Gibson. Since General 
Herron's divisitm was ordered to join General Grant, 
in the seige of Yicksburg, several months ago, there 
are not so many of our troops along the southern line 
of Missouri as there were during the lattter ])art of the 
winter ; but I still think that there have been enough to 
spare a force sufficient to re-occupy and hold Fayette- 
ville, Arkansas. After the withdrawal of our trooj^s 
from northwestern Arkansas several months ago, our 
position at Fort Blunt has been much more difficult to 
hold than it was before Colonel Harrison left Fayette- 
ville, for, as I have already stated, the enemy have 
been able to direct all his forces in western Arkan- 
sas and the Indian country against the division of 
Colonel Phillips. 

Colonel Blair, the Post Commander, has just re- 
ceived a despatch from General Blunt, stating that he 
attacked and routed the forces of General Cooper at 
Honey Springs, on Elk Creek, twenty-five miles south 
of Fort Gibson, last Friday morning, July 17th. A 
detachment of about twenty men came through from 
Fort Blunt with despatches and the mail. Nearly all 
these men were in the engagement at Honey Springs. 
I have therefore talked with several of them, to get the 
particulars of the battle. General Blunt reached Fort 
Gibson on the 11th, two days alter we met him at 
Cabin Creek. He rested the cavalry and artillery that 
he took down with him for four days, as the Arkansas 



356 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

Eiver was still too full to be fordable. In the mean- 
time he collected all the flat boats that could be found. 
for the purpose of crossing his artillery and troops 
over the Arkansas at the mouth of Grand River. On 
the evening ot the 15th he directed that a given num- 
ber of men from each regiment, battalion and battery, 
be supplied with four days' rations in haversacks, and 
forty rounds of ammunition in their cartridge boxes, 
and to be in readiness to march at a moment's notice. 
His troops, artillery and ambulances, being in readi- 
ness to move, the General took four hundred cavalry 
and four pieces of light artillery, and at midnight of 
the 15th crossed Grand Kiver near the Fort and the 
Yerdigris River, seven or eight miles to the southwest, 
and then marched up the Arkansas to a point about 
eighteen miles southwest of Fort Gibson, and forded 
the river. It was quite deep, coming up to the flanks 
of the horses. The caissons were detached from the 
artillery wagons and carried across the river on horses, 
to keep the ammunition dry. After he had crossed 
his forces over the river and re^^laced the caissons, he 
marched rapidly down the south bank to a point op- 
posite the mouth of Grand River, with the intention 
of cutting off and capturing the enemy's pickets, 
stationed along the river guarding the fords, etc. But 
they had by some means got wind of his movement, 
and being mounted upon good horses, only two or 
three were captured. He arrived opposite the mouth 
of Grand River before twelve o'clock the 16th, and 
immediately set the boats in motion and got his troops 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 357 

and artillery all ferried over before night, and at once 
set out on the march for Elk Creek, where, according 
to information he had received through his scouts. 
General Cooper was encamped with six thousand men, 
Texans and Indians. His own force was less than 
three thousand five hundred effective men. General 
Blunt's scouts reported to him that General Cabell, 
with three thousand men and some artillery, was on 
his way to join General Cooper, that Generals Cooper 
and Cabell were making j)reparations for a combined 
attack on Fort Blunt in a few days. General Blunt 
was therefore determined to hasten forward and attack 
General Cooper before General Cabell could form a 
junction with him. He made a night's march from 
the South bank of the Arkansas to Elk Creek, reaching 
there at sunrise. Four companies of the Sixth Kansas 
cavalry under Captain H. S. Greeno, with their two 
mountain howitzers, took the advance and drove in 
the enemy's outposts at daybreak. Captain Greeno 
followed them up closely until they fell back upon the 
main force, posted in the timber on the south side of 
Elk Creek. The enemy commenced to flank him and 
he fell back upon the infantry and artillery, which had 
not made such rapid progress, and were some distance 
in the rear coming up. General Blunt marched his 
entire force up to within half mile of the enemy's line, 
and halted a short time to enable his men to take lunch 
from their haversacks. Soldiers should always, as far 
as practicable, be allowed to replenish their stores of 
force before going into battle. The weather was quite 



358 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

warm, and a night march had much fatigued the in- 
fantry, so that they required food and rest before engag- 
ing the enemy. After his troops had lunched, and rested 
a short time, General Blunt formed them into two col- 
umns for making the attack. The right, under Colonel 
W. K Judson, of the Sixth Kansas cavalry, was to move 
forward to the right of the Texas road, and the left, 
under Colonel W. A. Phillips, was to move forward to 
the left of the road. The whole force, cavalry, infantry, 
and artillery, marched in columns of companies up to 
within a quarter of a mile of the enemy's position in 
the woods, and then came into line on the right and 
left of the road, and halted for a moment. While 
General Blunt with his staff and escort were examin- 
ing the position of the enemy, one of their sharp 
shooters wounded one of the General's escorts. The 
cavalry in the meantime had been skirmishing with 
the enemy, and was forcing him to show his exact po- 
sition. The line moved forward a hundred yards or 
so, and halted again. General Blunt then directed 
Captain Smith to bring his battery into position, and 
to open with shell and shrapnel upon a wood where it 
was believed that the enemy had a battery and a large 
force massed. Captain Henry Hopkins was next direct- 
ed to bring his battery into position a few hundred 
yards distant from Captain Smith's, and to open upon 
the enemy in another place. It was now soon discov- 
ered that the line of battle of the enemy was nearly a 
mile and a half in length. The cavalry on the right 
and left were now warmly engaged, and the enemy 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 359 

commenced to reply with his artillery. General Blunt 
went to Colonel Williams and said, " Colonel, I think 
that we have got the location of one of the enemy's 
batteries. I wish you would keep your eye upon it, 
and if you see an opportunity, I should like to have 
you take it at the point of the bayonet with yonr col- 
ored regiment." Colonel Williams remarked that his 
men were eager to charge the enemy, and if it were 
possible he would take the battery. He then addressed 
his men briefly; he told them to pay strict attention 
to orders; to reserve their lire until the order to fire 
was given, and then to take deliberate aim at the waists 
of the enemy ; that they would now in a few moments 
have an opportunity of displaying their valor on an 
open field; and that the eyes of the country were upon 
them. He then took his proper position and gave the 
order, ^a? 'bayonets^ forward^ march. He then moved 
up within short range of the enemy's line and halted 
a moment, and gave the order ready, aim, fire, and in- 
stantly a long line of muskets were leveled upon the 
enemy, and the smoke and roar of the volley told that 
the swift messengers of death and destruction had 
sped forth on their bloody mission. The enemy at the 
same time were keeping up a brisk fire all along 
the line. The colored regiment had i^erhaps fired less 
than half a dozen rounds when Colonel Williams was 
wounded in the breast, and was borne to the rear. 
Lieut.-Colonel J. Bowles then took command of the 
rcgiiient, and after continuing the firing for a short 
time, and obocrving carefully where the smoke arose 



300 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

from the rebel battery, and seeing that it was not very 
far oif, he pointed to it with his sword, and telling his 
men that he wanted them to take it, gave the order 
charge bayonets. The regiment moved forward, in- 
creasing its speed until within a few yards of the rebel 
line, and then with a shout rushed like an avalanche, 
upon it, bayoneting a great many rebels and captur- 
ing one piece of artilery. The enemy seeing what was 
coming, limbered up, and quickly removed the other 
pieces out of reach. Seeing now that the centre and 
strongest point of the enemy's line was broken and in 
disorder. General Blunt ordered his entire line to 
charge them, and in a short time they were 
routed completely at all points. He pursued them 
about three miles, but as his troops were much fatigued 
from having marched all the previous night, he biv- 
ouacked on the field. Our cavalry, which continued 
to watch the movements of the enemy, discovered 
General Cabell coming in sight with a large force of 
about three thousand men, about four o'clock in the 
afternoon. The enemy whom we had fought in the 
morning, having received large reinforcements. Gen- 
eral Blant expected that they would return and attack 
him that evening or the next morning. But they did 
not. Nor did they retreat further South after Gen- 
eral Cabell came up. 

General Blunt called the engagement the battle of 
'^ Honey Spring," as that was the name of General 
Cooper's camp on Elk Creek. The First Kansas col- 
ored infantrv and the Sixth Kansas cavalry suiFered 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 361 

most in killed and wounded on our side; though all 
our troops that participated, behaved with the utmost 
coolness during the entire battle. The Sixth Kansas 
cavalry suffered more than tlie rest of our cavalry on 
account of having been assigned to the task of turn- 
ing the enemy's left flank, which they did handsomely 
by sweeping down upon them in a saber charge. 
General Blunt is familiar with the fighting qualities of 
the Sixth, as he was only a few rods from Colonel 
Jewell when he fell leading his regiment at the battle 
of Cane Hill, the 29th of last November. But I will 
not endeavor to bestow undue praise upon the Sixth 
regiment because I happen to belong to it, for I know 
that every regiment of Kansas troojjs in the division 
with which I have served, have acted with conspicuous 
braver}^ upon every field , 

Our loss in this engagement was seventeen killed 
and sixty wounded. The loss of the enemy was 150 
left dead upon the field, and 400 wounded and seventy- 
seven prisoners. And we captured from him one 
piece of artillery, two hundred stands of arms, one 
stand of colors, and fifteen wagons. The stand of 
coloi-s belonged to the 20th Texas regiment, and there 
seems to be some controversy as to whom it now be- 
longs as a trophy. Colonel F. W. Schaurtie, in com- 
mand of a portion of the Indian cavalry, picked up 
the rebel colors on the field in front of the First Kan- 
sas colored infantry, after the enemy's line had been 
broken. Lieut. Colonel Bowles, of the First Kansas 
colored infantry, asserts his men shot down three rebel 



362 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

color bearers, including the last one holding this stand 
of colors, and that he forbade any of his men to leave 
ranks to pick it up, until our line should advance on 
the right and left. After hearing several statements 
in regard to the matter, I am induced to think that 
the captured colors rightfully belong as a tropliy to 
the First Kansas colored infantry. Colonel Schaurtie 
is a brilliant young officer, and if his men did not 
really kill the rebel color bearer, he will hardly con- 
test the right to hold the colors as a trophy for his 
men. 

General Blunt, after having buried the dead of both 
armies, and gathered up our wounded in ambulances, 
returned to Fort Blunt on the 19th instant. The rebel 
forces were too much demoralized to take the offensive, 
and General Blunt was not prepared to pursue them 
further south. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The enemy burn the Court House and Academy at Carthage — 
County records carried away in Missouri — Rebel guerillas 
near Fort Scott — Rebel women carry information to the 
enemy — Cholera and Small -pox at Fort Gibson — Probable 
cause of Cholera breaking out — A soldier killed by Captain 
Tough — A little too much drunkenness — Major Blair closes 
the whisky shops — Resisting the draft— Great riot in New 
York City — Remarks on neutrality — Arrival of Colonel Phil- 
lips from the front — The supply train starts to Fort Gibson — 
Recruiting of the Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry — Large bounties 
paid by the government for recruits — State bounties in some 
of the States — Skirmish between several squadrons of Federal 
troops through mistake— Skirmish with guerillas near Ball- 
town — Appeal of the rebel government for more troops — Des- 
cription of the country around Fort Scott — Recruiting color- 
ed troops. 

A small detachment of our soldiers who have jtist 
come up from Carthage, sixty miles southeast of this 
place, state that rebel bands are collecting in consider- 
able force in Jasper County, under Colonel Craven^ 
who formerly lived in that section ; and that there is. 
a fair prospect of a fight between them and the mili- 
tia in a few days. They have recently burned the 
court house, and a fine brick academy at Carthage, to- 
keep our troops from using them as a means of de- 



364 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELilON 

fense, as they used the brick building at Stockton not 
long since, when the rebel Chieftain Livingston was 
killed. The guerillas of Missouri know that court 
houses and strong buildings can be of very little bene- 
fit to them in the way of defenses, and that our troops 
are always delighted to get them in such places. They 
would not likely make much of an effort to dislodge 
them with small arms, but would probably try to hold 
them, until a section of a battery could be brought 
from the nearest post to play upon them. A few 
shells thrown into a building, should they take refuge 
in one, would soon start them out. From what I 
have seen on several occasions, I think they would 
prefer to run the gauntlet of small arms, than to have 
shells bursting around their heads in a court house 
hall. But burning such buildings in the towns, as 
would answer the purpose of quartering a company 
of troops, may be of some advantage to the enemy, 
while he is determined to keep up a guerilla warfare. 
In the burning of county property, which has been 
done in a good many instances, the enemy have not 
often destroyed county records, for most of such re- 
<?ords were carried away or concealed by the rebels, 
when General Price's forces were driven out of Mis- 
souri in February, 1862. As a general thing, perhaps, 
l>oth parties feel an interest in preventing the destruc- 
tion of county records. Unless the county records 
can be restored after the war, a good deal of confusion 
is likely to arise in regard to the titles to property. 
Those owning real estate in Missouri, cannot but feel 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 



some anxiety in regard to tne matter. Though it may 
be that the General Land Officer will show to whom 
any given piece of property was conveyed by the gov- 
ernment, it will not show the title of the present own- 
er to such property if it has been sold by the original 
purchaser from the government. 

The enemy are getting quite bold in this vicinity of 
late. A party of guerrillas, under Captain Taylor,, 
crossed the line on the night of the 24th, and came 
within about two miles of this post, and robbed sev- 
eral families. Major Bhir, who is kept quite busy in 
fitting out trains to carry supplies to our troops in the 
Indian country, is also obliged to be constantly on the 
alert in looking after the guerrillas in this section. 
If our troops become a little inactive along the bord- 
er, the enemy soon finds it out and commences com- 
mitting depredations. The commanding officer at the 
post should have a sufficient cavalry force at his dis- 
posal to send out two detachments every day, to the 
east, the southeast and the northeast of this place, say 
twenty -five or thirty miles. But even such a measure 
would not absolutely stop their depredations and raids 
into Kansas, for they generally stop during the day at 
some isolated and lonely spot where our troops are not 
likely to find them. If they return to their retreats 
by separate paths and byways, they need not make a 
trail that could be easily followed by our troops. 
Kebel families from Yernon county, Missouri, come 
in here every day to trade with our merchants, and, no 
doubt, easily get such information in regard to our 



"366 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

movements as to keep the enemy well advised. I 
made some inquiries for my own satisfaction in rela- 
tion to this matter, and I found that almost every day 
there are women of questionable loyalty, coming in 
here from Yernon and Barton counties, Missouri — 
sometimes, too, from a distance of twenty -five or thirty 
miles. They generally claimed to have passes, and I 
presume they did, having got some one to vouch for 
them, so that they come and go undisturbed. They may 
purchase not only articles for domestic use, but also 
ammunition for the enemy. My own idea is that we 
should be more vigilant in such things. Loyal men, 
no doubt, often thoughtlessly vouch for parties whom 
they should not. It would not be pleasant to know 
that we have been furnishing the enemy with the 
means for our own destruction. Yet there is reason 
to believe that we have sometimes done it. 

A detachment of cavalry just up from Fort Gibson, 
report that the cholera has broken out among the 
troops at that j)Ost, and that quite a number have al- 
ready died from that dreadful disease. General Blunt 
is also on the sick list. It can hardly be what is 
known as the Asiatic cholera, for that type of cholera 
generally appears in the east and travels westward. 
"When we were on short rations at Fort Gibson last 
month, I suggested that there was some danger of 
constitutional disturbances following our radical 
change of food. Of course, I had not the slightest 
idea what form the constitutional disturbance would 
likely take. By inquiry I ascertained that the men 



ON THE BORDER-1863 367 

did not relish their food; and I felt sure, too, that it 
was not making good healthy blood, without which 
no one can disj^lay prolonged activity, nor long retain 
good health. From the 22d of June to the 4th of 
July, nearly all the white men belonging to the gar- 
rison force at Fort Gibson, lost from one to several 
pounds of flesh. JSTor is this all. At the end of our 
fast, nearly everyone had sustained a loss of energy 
and bouyancy. Even after we commenced to issue 
full rations, the loss of power was not immediately re- 
stored to the men. It may be that the digestive and 
assimilative organs became enfeebled with the rest of 
the system. This, however, is a question which the med- 
ical profession should be most competent to decide. 
After the system becomes deteriorated by poor food, 
it must, of necessity, take some time to build up good 
healthy tissues, even when nutritious food has been 
supplied to the stomach and alimentary system. 

The small-pox, also, when we recently left Fort Gib- 
son, was still aflflicting our troops there — particularly 
the Indians. Since I referred to this disease last 
March, we have lost a good many Indian soldiers by 
it. But the greatest mortality caused by it has been 
among refugee Indian families. Though my bump 
of curiosity has taken me around to notice everything 
I could think of, it never took me to the small-pox 
hospital. Considering the heterogeneous mass of 
humanity we had together last winter, we are, 
perhaps, fortunate that we were no worse afflicted 
■during the spring and summer, and no doubt 



368 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

would have been, were it not for the vigilant eye of 
Colonel Phillips. 

On the 28th, "W. S. Tough, Captain and Chief of 
Scouts, shot and killed a soldier on the street. It 
seems that the soldier was drunk and making some 
demonstration which led Tough to believe that he was 
endeavoring to draw his pistol. From what I can find 
out about the matter, however, I think it would have 
been much more creditable to Captain Tough to have 
turned his pistol against the enemy. Why a Captain 
of civilian scouts should be one hundred and fifty miles 
from the front is unaccountable to me anyway. 'Nov 
have I heard of him being with us any time during 
the spring or summer. We have noticed more drunk- 
enness among the soldiers since we came here two 
weeks ago, than during the six months in Colonel 
Phillips' division. In fact, a drunken soldier, white 
or Indian, was a rare sight. Major Blair, the Post 
commander, is going to issue an order shortly, closing 
up those whisky shops that sell intoxicating liquors to 
soldiers. It would be a great blessing, not only to 
many families, but to many inebriates themselves, if 
some effective measures could be adopted to check the 
evil. The evils likely to arise from the use of intoxica- 
ting liquors, should be pointed out in the moral teach- 
ing of the head of every family as clearly and forci- 
bly as possible. But there will be legislative tinker- 
ing on the subject of prohibition for generations yet. 

The enforcing of the draft is beginning to cause a 
good deal of excitement in the eastern cities, and has 



ON THE BORDER— 1863 369 

already resulted in a great not m New York city, 
where hundreds of men have been either killed, beaten 
or bruised. To my mind, men who will risk their 
lives in resisting the draft rather than enlist in the 
service of the Government at this time, cannot be 
counted on much for their loyalty. That there should 
be so many traitors to the Government in the Korth, 
is really surprising. Every leader who advises resist- 
ing the draft, should be either hung or banished be- 
yond our lines. The Government must either act 
firmly or surrender to the enemy. It cannot afford to 
trifle with the foe at home any more than at the front. 
Everybody now is either friend or foe of the Govern- 
ment. There is no half-way ground; and anyone pre- 
tending to be neutral is endeavoring to hide his dis- 
loyalty behind that term. It would be much more 
honorable for them to come out and avow their dis- 
loyalty. These very men, too, who wish to be neu- 
tral, if they are assaulted or robbed, are as quick to 
appeal to the Government for protection or relief, as 
the staunchest supporter of the Union cause. But if 
they are really neutral what right have they to ask the 
Government for protection of life or property ? In 
the first place, the Government cannot recognize the 
right of any one to remain neutral in a life or death 
struggle like the present. Those who believe that the 
Government is worth preserving, should willingly risk 
their lines in its defense; that is, if they are not too 
cowardly to shoulder the musket. It would doubt- 
less be safe to predict that many of those now claim- 
24 



370 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

ing to be neutral, and who have liad,or may yet have 
\ supplies taken from them by our army, will ask the 
Government to pay for such supplies after the war. As 
there is not the remotest probability of the Govern- 
ment paying the enemy for supplies taken from them I 
don't see how it can pay the neutrals for supplies taken 
from them, since by their own choosing they have not 
classed themselves among its friends. These riotous de- 
monstrations in the North, 1 have no doubt, give great 
encouragement to the enemy, and will have a ten- 
dency to prolong the war. Since the recent great vic- 
tories of our armies from the East to the far West, the 
■enemy, like a drowning man, are willing to catch at a 
straw. Though the rioters may greatly assist the en- 
emy by keeping many of our troops at home who 
should be at the front, yet the riots will prove a weak 
straw for the enemy to cling to. 

Colonels Phillips and Wattles came in on the 30th 
from Fort Gibson, with a smaller escort and a number 
of the wounded from the battle of Honey Springs. 
They do not furnish any additional information in re- 
gard to that battle. From conversations with several 
other parties, I am satisfied that the account which I 
have written out is substantially correct. Had I gone 
more into details, I should have given greater promi- 
nence to the part which Colonel Phillips' brigade took 
in the engagement. I should like to see not only Fort 
Scott, but every town in Kansas through which Colo- 
nel Phillips passes, give him a warm welcome. ISTo 
citizen of this State has so honorably earned the grati- 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 371 

tude of his fellow-citizens as he has, for in his various 
contests with the enemy during the last six months, lie 
has saved this State from invasion, and the homes of 
our citizens from desolation. The small politicians 
may receive ovations in the same places where he 
passes unnoticed, but the small politician will long 
have been forgotten, when he will live in the memory 
of our people as one of the real heroes of the Great 
Rebellion. This war, in which the great principle of 
human freedom is involved, marks an epoch in history 
that will live long after the history of wars waged for 
political power will have dwindled into nothingness. 
There are many now living, who will, in less than 
twenty years from this, doubtless regret that they did 
not take a hand in this great struggle for justice and 
right. 

The large commissary train is now nearly ready to 
start for Fort Blunt. It is encamped on Dry Wood 
Creek, twelve miles south of here. The escort will be 
under command of Colonel Thomas Bowen, of the 
13th Kansas infantry, and will, perhaps, be in readi- 
ness to march by August 2d. It is not known yet 
whether the enemy will make another effort to capture 
it or not. The latest information from Fort Gibson 
indicates that General Cooper has been reinfoi'ced bv 
General Steele, from Texas, with three or four thou- 
sand men and some artillery. Unless General Blunt 
receives reinforcements soon, the enemy may assume 
the offensive and attack him, or send a force north of 
him to attack the train. It is likely, however, that 



372 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

the escort will be strengthened by troops from Fort 
Blunt by the time it reaches the Keosho River. 

The JFourteenth 'Ksnis'ds cavalry is being recruited 
very rapidly, and in a few weeks will be ready to elect 
field officers. Major Blair, commanding this post, will 
probably be made Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment. 
Two or three companies raised in Southern Kansas 
for this regiment have already been doing escort duty 
for several weeks. The Government is now offering 
three times as much bounty for each enlistment as it 
was under the first and second calls of the President 
for volunteers two years ago. Some time in the 
future I have no doubt but that there will be a de- 
mand made for equalization of bounties. Those who 
enlisted early in the war, should surely fare as well as 
those who enlisted several years later. Several of the 
States that have not yet filled their quotas of troops 
under the several calls of the President, are offering 
larger bounties for enlistments than the Government 
allows. Kansas at present is unable to offer any State 
bounty. In the east there are men known as " bounty 
jumpers." They enlist into the service, receive the 
Government and State bounties, and then desert and 
go to some other place and enlist again under another 
name. From accounts that I have seen, it seems that 
there are men who have made quite large sums of 
money by such dishonorable transactions. I regret 
that my duty as a conscientious observer of the actions 
of men in connection with the war, compels me to re- 
mark, that even here there are manv whose chief in- 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 373 

terest in the Government is ro get fat jobs out of it, 
and to fleece the soldiers of their hard earnings by 
charging them and their families exorbitant prices for 
everything they get. Their loyalty is not of that kind 
that leads men to brave the dangers and hardships of 
the field and the camp. The less loyalty we have of 
this kind the better off we shall be. 

Information has just reached here from Kansas 
City that the Government sent out from that 
place, on the 2nd instant, a large train for new Mexi- 
co; and as it was thought that Quantrell, with his 
guerrilla force, would attack it about the time it would 
cross over into Kansas, Captain Harvey, of the Sixth 
Kansas cavalry, with a detachment of forty men, was 
ordered in the direction from which it was believed that 
the enemy would approach the train. He had not march- 
ed many miles, however, when he came in contact with 
Captain Coleman of the Ninth Kansas cavalry, and a 
lively fight ensued before the mistake was discovered. 
As Captain Coleman had a much larger force than Cap- 
tain Harve}^, the latter retreated, and perhaps got the 
worst of the affair. He had several men wounded, and 
was himself run over and trampled under the horses' 
feet and seriously injured. As Quantrell's men don the 
Federal uniform whenever it suits their purpose, our 
troops in Jackson and Cass counties, Missouri, do not 
alw^ays know when they are meeting the enemy until 
he has delivered his fire. With all the activity that 
our troops have displayed in those counties during the 
last six months, the guerrillas there are still as trouble- 



374 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

some as at anj time since the commencement of the 
war. Though the country through which they range 
and carry on their predatory war is not mountainous, 
a portion of it is so thickly wooded that it is easy for 
them to find retreats miles from any human habita- 
tion. When they make a successful raid on a small 
body of our troops, or a train, or a town, and capture 
certain supplies that they require, it is stated that such 
supplies are conveyed to their retreats and kept for 
future use. Our troops have on several occasions 
found out their retreats, and captured or destroyed the 
property which they had stored. 

Two bushwhackers were killed on the 7th by our 
troops near Balltown, twenty-two miles east of this 
post, in Yernon county, Missouri. They are believed 
to have been in the party that killed Whitesides, the 
enlisted scout, a few weeks ago, only a few miles east 
of Fort Scott, near the State line. One of the bush- 
whackers had a pass through the Federal lines in his 
pocket. It is doubtful whether the enemy keep ahead 
of us in the killing business; and if they do not, Ave 
can stand it longest. Even without the aid of the 
colored soldiers, the northern and middle States can 
furnish many more able-bodied men than the rebel- 
lious states. One would have thought that the leaders 
of the rebellion would have carefully consulted the cen- 
sus returns, and studied the resources of the North^ 
before plunging the country into a war in which they 
could not reasonably hope to be successful, unless they 
went into it on the hypothesis that one southern man. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 375 

could whip ^ye "Yankees," as I heard a man say in 
Texas, about the time of the election of Mr. Lincoln. 
By reason of their own narrowness, the southern peo- 
ple have not allowed themselves to become acquainted 
with the strength and resources of the North. A news- 
paper like the 'New York Tribune, that discusses the 
affairs of the whole country freely, was not allowed to 
circulate in the South before the war. To have it found 
upon his person in some of the Southern States was 
almost worth a man's life. They could tolerate almost 
any of the shortcomings to which human nature is 
prone, but to say that " Slavery is wrong " was an un- 
pardonable offense. No criminal was so damnable in 
their eyes as an abolitionist. 

Dispatches from the East of recent date show that 
the rebel leaders are bewailing theii* misfortunes pit- 
eously in their appeals to their followers. They are 
beginning to feel the weight of the strong arm of the 
Government, and it seems to me that nothing but blind 
stupidity could induce them to continue a struggle that 
is utterly hopeless, unless they wish to make a show 
of dying in the last ditch. It is now more difficult 
for the so-called Confederate Government to raise 
additional troops than it is for the United States. 
They commenced conscripting before we commenced 
drafting; and I think that the rebel armies east and 
west have lost a great many more men by desertions 
tlian our armies have. 

It is now generally thought that Kansas will not be 
obliged to draft any men, under any former calls of 



376 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

the President, as she has already furnished very nearly 
her quota. Her citizens have responded to the several 
calls of President Lincoln with a patriotic promptness 
that challenges the admiration of the country. But 
to fill her quota under the present call for four hun- 
dred and fifty thousand men, may possibly require the 
enforcement of the draft before many months shall 
have elapsed. Nearly all the young men full of patri- 
otic pride, and who v/ere willing to risk their lives for 
the Government, have already enlisted. There are 
many that will be subject to the draft who have a 
great dread of being made targets for rebel bullets. 
It is said that they shudder, and that their teeth almost 
chatter when they read of the great battles in which 
the men fall in heaps upon each other, and have their 
limbs torn from their bodies by shot and bursting 
shells. To those of timid natures, and who almost 
faint at the sight of human blood, it is not likely the 
battle field, with the w^ounded and dying, is a very fas- 
cinating picture. At any rate they have a horror of 
contemplating. themselves as going to make up such a 
picture. 

The 10th of August is the second anniversary of my 
enlistment. Many comrades whose faces were familiar 
at the morning roll call, on drill and on the march, 
have dropped out of the ranks and lie buried upon 
distant fields. The forms and features of fallen com- 
rades, when my thoughts turn back upon the past two 
years, rise up before me and arouse feelings of 
real sadness. But ere our work shall have been 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 377 

accomplished, our ranks will doubtless be thinned 
still more bj death. 

Fort Scott has recently been made the Headquarters 
District of the Frontier, commanded by General Blunt. 
Captain J. G. Haskell, his Chief Quartermaster, and 
Major H. Z. Curtis, his Assistant Adjutant-General, 
will remain here for the present. Since August, 1861, 
this has been the principal place on the border for 
organizing and equipping our troops for the field. 
Though only four miles west of the State line, it has 
not yet been captured by the enemy. They have, how- 
ever, at difl:erent times, captured and killed our pickets, 
and made several raids on the Government stock graz- 
ing on the prairie near town. The place has increased 
in importance, as a business center, since it has been 
made a regular depot of supplies. The merchants 
have a trade extending to a distance of sixty to seven- 
ty-five miles around, besides a large trade in outfitting 
sutlers who accompany the army. It is not likely that 
the town will diminish in importance even after the 
war, for it is located in a rich agricultural region? 
besides the rich deposits of bituminous coal in this 
vicinity will probably be extensively worked in a few 
years, which will cause capital and immigration to flow 
into this section. The prairies around us, now clothed 
with tons of wild grass per acre, will teem with fields 
of golden grain. But hundreds of tons ot this wild 
grass can now be used to good purpose by the Gov- 
ernment as forage for its animals. Captain M. H. 
Insley, the Depot Quartermaster, has commenced lett- 



378 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

ing contracts for forage and fuel, and in a few months 
we shall see long hay ricks rising on the Government 
lots, and great quantities of corn and oats filling the 
Government cribs, and the estimated number of cords 
of wood and tons of coal stored in" their proper places. 
Farmers and teamsters will have no trouble in finding 
active employment from this time until late in the 
season. , Everybody has an opportunity of making 
money but the soldier. The farmer gets a good price 
for everything that he raises; and the mechanic good 
wages for his labor. A civilian who can barely make 
a living now would probably be in poverty in ordinary 
times. When the war closes those who have remained 
at home will have had opportunities to become almost 
rich, while the soldiers will have grown poor. It will 
require unusual energy and economy for the ex-soldier 
to ever get even with his civilian neighbor in regard 
to social standing and ease. And no one ever esti- 
mates the sacrifice the volunteer soldier makes when 
he offers his services to his Government. 

There has been quite an excitement among the col- 
ored men about town for several days in regard to 
drafting them. The farce of drafting a considerable 
number was gone through with, but as the ofiicers had 
no legal authority to draft them, they have been releas- 
ed and returned to their business, or enlisted volun- 
tarily. Enlistments for the Second Kansas colored 
regiment have been going on at a lively rate for sev- 
eral days; and it is quite likely that the recruiting 
officers have endeavored to impress the able-bodied 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 379 

colored men with the idea that they may be drafted 
shortly, and that it will be better for them to enlist 
now and secure the generous bounty offered by the 
Government. Indeed it has been suggested that the 
recruiting officer got up the excitement for the pur- 
pose of increasing the number of enlistments per 
diem. There is a strong incentive to resort to such a 
trick, for the sooner the officers get their company 
organizations complete, the sooner they will get mus- 
tered into the service. I think, however, that a straight- 
forward course is best in such matters, then there can 
be no excuse for complaint on the part of the soldier 
after enlistment. Our enthusiasm for a good cause 
should never make us dishonest towards those whom 
we wish to act with us. I see no objection, however^ 
to the recruiting officers making pretty little speeches 
to those whom they wish to become candidates for 
enlistment, by appealing to their sense of patriotism,, 
and by telling them " what a grand and heroic thing it 
is to die for one's country." - There are a good many men 
whose patriotism is quite latent, and who need some 
stimulant to arouse them from their state of indiffer- 
ence. They do not always see the connection between 
the peace and happiness of their quiet homes and the 
stability of a Government founded on just laws. It 
therefore becomes proper to point out to them, in as 
forcible language as possible, that there come times in 
the history of Governments when they find it neces- 
sary to call on their citizens to assist in enforcing the 
laws, and in defending the life of the nation against 



380 MEMOIRS OF THE REBE*LLION 

foreign or domestic foes. Pictures might be drawn 
bringing vividly before their minds the fact that, were 
it not for the strong arm of the Government, their 
families might very shortly be weeping over their 
slaughtered bodies in the midst of the ruins of their 
desolated homes. The fife and drum corps often per- 
forms excellent service in stirring up the martial pride 
of those just in from the country. Every soldier who 
enlisted early in the war will remember the stirring 
air of "The Girl I left behind me." 



CHAPTEE XX. 

A Post established at Baxter Springs, with a Detachment of Cav- 
alry — Bombardment of Charleston and probable fall of Forts 
Sumter and Wagner — Guerrillas along the Border display- 
ing unusual Activity — Large quantities of Hay being put up 
for the Government at Fort Scott — Burning and Sacking of 
Lawrence by Quantrell — Murder of one hundred and fifty of 
her Citizens — Escape of the Desperadoes into Missouri — Fed- 
eral troops in pursuit — The Guerillas break up into small De- 
tachments—Kansas needs a State Militia — Looking around 
for some one to blame — General Ewing and Schofield De- 
nounced — Some favor the wild notion of a Grand Army of 
Invasion, to destroy everything in Missouri for a distance of 
forty miles from Kansas— Folly of the Scheme — Generals 
Cooper and Cabell threatening General Blunt — Paola Mass 
Meeting — Plan of removal of Rebel Families considered. 

A detacliment of the Third Wisconsiu cavalry was 
ordered by Colonel Blair to Baxter Springs, on the 
morning of the ITth, for the purpose of occupying 
that place as a regular station. Several months ago, 
in looking over the route of our trains from Fort Scott 
to Gibson, I remarked, that there was great need of 
a detachment of cavalry at Baxter. There is no 
point between this place and Gibson, where a small 
force of cavalry can be stationed to better advantage. 
And had not all his cavalry that could be spared been 



382 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

employed on escort duty, Colonel Blair would have 
ordered several companies there months ago. Some 
sort of fortifications have already been constructed, 
and one or two companies of colored infantry and a 
piece of light artillery are stationed there to defend 
the place. With this detachment of cavalry also sta- 
tioned there, to scout the surrounding country, guer- 
rilla depredations should shortly almost cease. At any 
rate the guerrillas in that section can be watched more 
closely, and perhaps prevented from concentrating in 
sufficient force to attack our trains. 

Reports from the East state that General Gilmore's 
forces, besieging Charleston^ are gradually battering 
down the enemy's works. From accounts, the bom- 
bardment of the city and of Forts Sumter and Wag- 
ner, recently, must have been terrific. It is thought 
that Sumter will certainly fall in a few days, as great 
breaches have already been made in some portions of 
the defences. Our siege-gun batteries keep pouring 
in such a steady stream of shot and shell, that the en- 
emy do not get time to repair the openings. The fall 
of Charleston will be a great humiliation to the rebels, 
since it was at that place they seized the first Govern- 
ment property, and made the first attack upon the 
United States troops. They are not having such a 
jolly time as when they were besieging Major Ander- 
son's little command^in April, 1861. They will, un- 
questionably, be in a bad way when the hot-bed in which 
their secession ideas have been nurtured since the 
days of Calhoun, shall have been captured by our forces. 



ON THE BORDE 11-186:3. 383 

Information recieved here from several points along 
the border towards Kansas City, indicates that the 
guerrilla bands in the counties of Jackson, Cass and 
Johnson, are displaying unusual activity. It is just a 
year ago since they concentrated in Jackson County, 
and attacked Lone Jack, and captured two pieces of ar- 
tillery from our troops. This present great activity 
portends some mischief It is not thought now that 
they can get together more than three or four hun- 
dred men in that section. But considering that every 
man is almost loaded down with repeating rifles and 
revolvers, this force is equal to about a thousand of our 
best troops. Our ofiicers operating along the border 
know approximately the number of men each guer- 
rilla chieftain can muster. With that number of men 
they are not likely to attack any of our stations along 
the border, for they have never to my knowledge at- 
tacked a superior force of our troops. They have, how- 
ever, fought like tigers to get out of a tight place. 
For fifty miles south of Kansas City, we have, I 
should think, not less than fifteen hundred troops. 
They know, or should know, the character of the en- 
emy with whom they have to deal. And of course 
they understand perfectly that they cannot with safety 
relax their vigilance for a single day. QuantrelPs 
band is known to be composed of the worst men in 
the country, and would no doubt like an opportunity 
to cross the line and invade Kansas. The people of 
this State know that they have repeatedly threatened 
to make a raid into it, to recapture the stook, etc., 



384 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

alleged to have been taken from Missouri by our 
troops. From what we know of his men, we have 
reason to believe that they will not only commit such 
depredations as robbery and plunder, but that their 
trail will be stained by the blood of our citizens, and 
the torch they may also apply almost indiscriminately. 
But they are closely looked after by the troops under 
General Thomas Ewing, commanding District of the 
Border. 

Nothing further has been heard of the gathering of 
the guerrilla bands under Quantrell north of us, and 
everything has been unusually quiet at this post, and 
in this section for several days. Our scouting parties 
into Missouri return without having heard anything 
of the guerrillas, who have for the last year infested 
Yernon and Barton Counties. Indeed for several days 
past, each day is a repetition of the day before. The 
sentinels guarding public property at different points, 
walk leisurely to and fro upon their beats, with their 
bright muskets on their shoulders, as in times of pro- 
found peace. Captain M. H. Insley, the Depot Quar- 
termaster, is beginning to receive the new hay re- 
cently contracted for, and a number of large ricks have 
commenced going up. The dust has been flying all 
day, on all the roads leading into town, caused by the 
numerous civilian teams hauling hay and coal, for de- 
livery on contract. While the work of laying in the 
winter supply of fuel and forage is going on, there is 
also great activity at all the Commissary, Quartermas- 
ter and Ordinance store houses. Trains from Fort 



UN THE BORDER— 1863. 385 

Leavenworth are unloading at one place, and trains for 
Fort Gibson are loading at another place. The depot 
and staff quartermasters, commissiaries and ordinance 
officers, are kept busy in supplying the troops in the 
Indian country with stores furnished by their respec- 
tive departments. Considering the amount of Gov- 
ernment property stored at this post, some of our offi- 
cers feel apprehensions for its safety, for if the enemy 
should capture or kill our pickets, and make a dash 
upon the place in the night, we are not sure that Co- 
lonel Blair has a sufficient number of troops at his 
disposal to successfully defend the town, or public pro- 
perty. He is vigilant, however, and may not permit 
the enemy to approach very near unobserved. 

Information reached this post, on the evening of the 
22d, that the city of Lawrence in this State was sack- 
ed, burned and nearly two hundred of her citizens 
killed, by about three hundred men under Quantrell, 
at day-break on the morning of the 21st instant. It 
seems that Quantrell crossed the State line on Thurs- 
day evening, 20th instant, with his force, and marched 
all night, and reached Lawrence Friday morning a.t 
four o'clock, and immediately commenced their fiend- 
ish work of robbing, burning property, and shooting- 
down the male citizens who were unarmed and de- 
fenseless. A gentleman who escaped from the scene 
of the slaughter and desolation, described to me this 
evening, quite vividly, what he saw, and I have obtain- 
ed particulars from other sources, all tending to show 
that it would be impossible to exaggerate the fiendish- 
25 



.'B86 MEMOIRS OP THE HEBELLION 

-ness of the ruffians. The ruffians, when they approach- 
'ed the city, threw a guard around it to j)revent any of 
■the men from escaj^ing. They then marched into the 
;|vrincipal part of the city and commenced their work. 
Everything in the way of money and jewelry was tak- 
en, the houses set on lire, and tlie men shot down in 
the presence of their families. Many instances are 
reported, in which men were shot down while their 
wives, daughters and mothers were clinging to them, 
and begging that they might be spared. But the en- 
treaties of the women, that the lives of those so dear 
to them might be spared, had no effect on the harden- 
ed hearts of the monsters in human form. If 
there were no women to remove the lifeless bodies of 
the men, they were left to be consumed by the devour- 
ing ilames. The loss of life by this worse than fiendish 
act, cannot be accurately known until the ruins of the 
desolated city have been carefully examined. I have 
also heard that the enemy threw a good many bodies 
into wells and cisterns. In less than half an hour after 
the enemy entered the city, it was in a sheet of flame. 
All the best portion of it has been burned, and hun- 
dreds of families have not only lost all their male 
members but their houses and effects also. For cruel- 
ty and heartlessness, I doubt whether this outrage has 
a parallel in modern warfare. And were it not al- 
ready committed, it would be difficult to believe that 
three hundred fiends could be got together in this 
country for the purpose of committing it. They sur- 
prised and captured twenty-five colored recruits, who 



ON THE BORDEU-1863. 387 

v\'er(3 shot dead on the spot. A few men escaped 
through corn fields adjacent to the city. Someone 
carried the news of the enemy being in the city to 
Senator Lane, and he escaped on horseback. He had 
left but a moment when they surrounded his house 
with the full confidence that they had caught him. 
After they had satiated themselves by robbing, burn- 
ing and murdering for several hours, they withdrew 
and marched towards Missouri. They remounted 
themselves on fresh horses, obtained from the public 
and private stables in Lawrence, and each man led 
back the horse which he rode into the city, or obtain- 
ed a better one in its place. With fine fresh animals, 
our best cavalry companies on the border, on account 
of the hard service their horses have performed this 
summer, could not have kept up with the enemy 
many hours. If Quantrell is hotly pursued by our 
troops, he can leave his led horses and the goods with 
which some of them are known to have been packed. 
But as it is only about thirty-five miles from Lawrence 
to the State line, it was soon apparent that he would get 
back into Missouri unmolested, or, at any rate, with a 
trifling loss of men and property. 

An interval of two days brought additional particu- 
lars. General Lane, a few hours after his flight from 
his home, collected together about twenty men, and 
followed and overtook, and skirmished with the rear 
of the enemy about twelve miles from Lawrence. He 
also dispatched couriers to various points where we 
had troops stationed, with the view of having them 



388 MEMOIRS OF THE IlEBELLION 

intercept the enemy. Anyway, our troops between 
Kansas City and Paola got word of the destruction of 
Lawrence, and the naassacre of her citizens, and made 
an eifort to intercept Quantrell on his return. A few 
miles north of Paola our troops and citizens attacked 
him, but as he was not disposed to fight he managed to 
evade them, and get into Missouri with the loss of 
two or three men, and some of the animals that were 
being led. As it is mostly a prairie country between 
Lawrence and the State line, and as our officers were 
informed, a few hours after he passed into Kansas, of 
the fact, I am yet unable to understand why more 
effective measures were not taken to j^ursue him the 
moment he invaded the State, and to intercept him on 
his return. The section that he passed over between 
the State line and Lawrence is rather thickly settled, 
and some of the citizens on his line of march are 
surely chargeable with gross negligence in failing to 
inform the people of Lawrence, and our officers, of the 
enemy's movements. It is reported that Captain 
Coleman sent a messenger to warn Lawrence that 
Quantrell had passed into Kansas, and might be 
moving in that direction. But the messenger was 
either intercepted by the enemy, or the enemy reach- 
ed Lawrence before him. 

Our troops are still continumg the pursuit, but as 
the enemy have reached the heavily wooded country 
of Cass county, they will probably break up into 
small bands, and return to their isolated retreats, 
where it will be difficult to find them. Colonel 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 389 

Saysear, of the First Missouri State Militia cavalry, 
commenced a vigorous pursuit of Quantrell soon after 
he crossed into Missouri, and overtook him on Big 
Creek near Harrisonville, and killed six of his men. 
Majors Plumb and Thatcher, of the Eleventh Kansas 
cavalry, have also overtaken several detachments of 
the enemy, and killed a number of his men. 

As QuantrelPs men have so often threatened the 
destruction of Lawrence during the last eighteen 
months, and as the place is second in size and impor- 
tance in the State, and the home of Senator Lane, it is 
unaccountable why several companies of troops have 
not been stationed there. Having always been op- 
posed to the border ruffians, it has since the war been 
an object of especial hatred by them. If a battalion 
from the regularly organized forces could not have 
been spared from active service on the border, then a 
militia force should have been organized for the pro- 
tection of the city, somewhat on the plan of the Mis- 
souri State troops. Kansas needs a State militia or- 
ganization just as much as Missouri, for our towns, as 
distant from the State line as the second tier of coun- 
ties, are liable to attack and destruction by detachments 
of guerrillas from Missouri at almost any time. It is 
possible for a small detachment of men mounted on 
good animals to penetrate the State, unobserved, for a 
distance of thirty-five or forty miles, during a single 
night's march. Even if their horses should get much 
fatigued, they would have very little trouble in getting 
fresh ones. There are a great many men who do not 



390 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

wish to enter the vokinteer service, yet who could be 
easily induced to enter the militia service of the State 
for their immediate protection. With a well organized 
militia, there would be no need for any portion of the 
volunteer forces to occupy a place as distant from the 
scene of active operations as Lawrence. 

Kow that Quantrell has committed his fiendish act 
and escaped deserved punishment, our people, political 
leaders particularly, are looking around for some one 
upon whom to cast the blame. A good deal of excite- 
ment seems likely to grow out of the barbarous act of 
the enemy, for it is a shock to not only the people of 
this State, but to the entire North, and to loyal hearts 
everywhere. It is, however, in perfect keeping with 
the principle for which the South is fighting. Our 
people could never be led to commit such atrocious 
acts, except by way of retaliation; and even then, I 
think few men could be found mean enough to take 
gold rings from the fingers of ladies, as Quantrell's 
men did. But there is a phase of the discussion of this 
great crime that I regret to hear. Some are loud in 
their denunciation of Generals Ewing and Schofield, 
and there are others who not only denounce these ofii- 
cers for permitting the enemy to invade the State, but 
insist that it is the duty of the citizens of Kansas to 
assemble at some point and march into Missouri and 
down her border counties, and burn and destroy every- 
thing for a distance of forty miles from the State line, 
regardless of the political status of the owners of pro- 
perty. I have heard some men who were boiling 



ON THE BORDER-1863. . 391 

over with indignation, and apparently ready to join the 
Grand Ai-my of Invasion, decLare that there are no 
loyal men in Missouri, and that the torch should be 
applied, and not a house left standing within a hun- 
dred miles of Kansas. This remark was suggested: 
" Gentlemen, if you are really so full of loyalty and 
martial enthusiasm, why don't you enlist into the 
Fourteenth and Fifteenth regiments now organizing 
and needing recruits ? " Though every loyal person 
regrets the calamity at Lawrence, it is no time for 
reckless talk. Nor should men on this side of the line 
think of holding the Union people of Missouri re- 
sponsible for the acts of the enemy. It is an absurd 
and extravagant notion, and savors more of political 
buncomb than true devotion to the Government. Our 
people should remember that Missouri has sent to the 
field, including her State troops, nearly a hundred 
thousand loyal men, upwards of Six times the num- 
ber of men this State has furnished for the war. Union 
people in Missouri are every day being murdered and 
robbed by guerrillas and bushwhackers, though the 
State militia are furnishing all the protection in their 
power. Are the loyal people there entitled to no sym- 
pathy? As I have already described the scenes of 
desolated homes in Missouri, I will only add the i-e- 
mark, that life, and liberty to enjoy it, is as sweet on 
that side of the line as on this. The Missouri troops 
now at tlie front, and who have participated in the 
capture of Fort Donelson and Yicksburg, and the 
great battles in Tennessee, have enough to torture their 



392 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

minds, in contemplating guerrillas burning their 
homes and leaving their families houseless and defence- 
less, without our troops or people committing unjus- 
tiliable acts to increase their anxiety. And moreover, 
those whose loyalty to the Government consists in ex- 
travagant expressions, should also remember that a 
considerable portion of the soldiers of most of the 
Kansas regiments were citizens of Missouri up to the 
time of their enlistments. And if reports be true, 
and I have endeavored to get at the exact truth, the 
Missouri State troops have followed Quantrell more 
persistently, and killed more of his men, than have 
our Kansas troops that are stationed along the border. 
A man named Morgan was killed on the 28th, a few 
miles east of Dry Wood, Missouri. From such facts 
as I have been able to obtain, it appears that this man 
has been in the habit, for some time, of coming to 
this post and getting such information in regard to our 
operations, along the border and in the Indian coun- 
try, as he could pick up, and of carrying it across the 
line to bushwhackers, and thus keeping them perfectly 
advised of our movements. If there are any persons 
who come here for the purj)ose of getting information 
to betray us into the hands of the enemy, and lose 
their lives in the operation, it will perhaps have a 
wholesome effect on the minds of others engaged in 
similar service. The permission granted to people of 
questionable loyalty, to trade with the merchants of 
tins place unrestricted, has perhaps cost us the lives 
of quite a number of our soldiers. 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 393 

Several special messengers with the mail and de- 
spatches, wlio arrived on the morning of the 30th, 
from Fort Gibson, report that the enemy, nnder Gen- 
erals Cooper and Cabell, are no longer assuming such 
a threatening attitude as tliey were a few weeks ago. 
They have fallen back from their old j^osition on the 
south bank of the Arkansas Kiver, near Fort Gibson, 
to the north fork of Canadian River, about fifty miles 
further south. General Cabell has gone to Fort Smith 
with his division, as we have a column of troops un- 
der General John McNeil, ready to march down the 
line via Fayetteville to Yan Buren. It is thought that 
General Blunt will be ready to move forward and at- 
tack General Cooper in a few days. After beating 
General Cooper he intends to swing to the left, and 
attack Fort Smith, and take it by storm if the enemy 
defends it. Our troops are getting full rations, and 
are well supplied w4th ammunition. The cholera and 
small-pox have almost disappeared, and the soldiers 
are in good spirits, and ready to open a vigorous fall 
campaign against the enemy. General Cooper has 
been beaten so often the last year, I doubt whether 
he can keep his troops together to make a hard light. 

A mass meeting of the citizens of Kansas is to take 
place at Paola in a few days, for the purpose of con- 
sidering the plan and setting the day when they shall 
invade Missouri en masse, and march down the border 
with iire and sword, and thunder and lightning, and 
make it impossible for bushw^iackers to invade this 
State again. If the citizens of the State nearly all 



394 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

turn out, and their martial ardor keeps up at a v.'iiite 
heat, I tliink that the recruiting officers of the Four- 
teenth and Fifteenth regiments should be on the 
ground. They should be able to get recruits enough 
to till their respective regiments in a single day. But 
the noisiest are not always most eager to make per- 
sonal sacrifices for the cause which they pretend to 
champion. Stirring speeches are to be made hy Gen- 
eral James H. Lane, United States Senator from this 
State, Colonel C. R. Jennison, and a number of 
other orators. As an unprejudiced observer of cur- 
rent events, I must express my belief that the politi- 
cians of Kansas are inclined to make ]Dolitical capital 
out of the Lawrence calamity, which I do not think is 
at all creditable to them. If the citizens of the State, 
when they assemble at Paola, would express their hor- 
ror, in a suitable manner, of the enormity of the 
crime committed by the enemy at Lawrence, so that 
the civilized world might see the barbarous method of 
warfare the Confederacy is fostering, and then adjourn 
sine die, I think that they will have acted more sensi- 
bly than if they issue flaming manifestoes of devasta- 
tion of the country of our neighbors across the line. 
A rebel force of about one hundred men passed 
Balltown on the morning of September 1st, moving 
south. The men are believed to be a portion of Quan- 
trell's command who participated in the Lawrence 
massacre. If they can find any other unguarded 
point, or a small detachment of our troops, we may 
expect to hear from them again shortly. They will 



ON THE BOKDER-1863. 395 

not likely have any opposition to their movements 
down the border unless they come in contact with the 
Missouri militia stationed at Neosho, or some detach- 
ment of our troops on a scout. In fact, if they keep 
near the State line, the country is open to the Arkan- 
sas River. The State militia have not made regular 
stations at Carthage and Lamar, for the reason that 
those towns have been destroyed, and the country 
around them desolated, leaving scarcely anything in 
that region to protect. This devastated territorv the 
enemy can march over and occupy for weeks without 
our knowing it, if they are not aggressive ; and then, 
at their leisure, can make raids into Kansas, or into 
the counties east of the border counties of Missouri. 
In the interior of Missouri such raids are impossible^ 
or at any rate, quite rare, for the reason that no con- 
siderable body of guerrillas can collect together, or 
come into a neighborhood without the Union families 
knowing it. 

Since Quantrell's raid on Lawrence, and the agita- 
tions of irregular organizations from this State goino- 
into Missouri for the purpose of burning and destroy- 
ing everything, a good many rebel families who have- 
been living in the border counties of Missouri, have 
commenced moving south. In those sections infested 
with guerrillas, I think that the rebel families who 
give them aid and comfort should be sent south of 
our lines. Such action would probably do more tO' 
stop bushwhacking and the guerrilla warfare, than 
burning or destroying the property of rebel families, 



396 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

and leaving them in the country. Let rebel families 
understand that they can remain on their homesteads, 
provided no guerrillas infest the section, and I believe 
that they would generally discourage guerrilla war- 
fare. A regular invasion by the organized forces of 
the Confederacy I would not consider as sufficient 
grounds for their removal. By removing them south 
the rebel authorities would be obliged to provide for 
them, and the inducement for husbands and male re- 
lations to return to the State would no longer exist. 
As soon as our troops occupied Missouri, an order of 
this kind should, in my judgment, have been pub- 
lished by the commanding General. Then, if the 
enemy persisted in their illegitimate warfare, we could 
stand it as well as they. If the officers and soldiers 
operating with the regular forces of the Confederacy, 
wish their families to remain at their homes in Mis- 
souri until the present contest shall have been deci- 
ded, let them prevail on the rebel authorities to stop 
the guerrilla warfare in those States occupied by our 
troops. We are able to stop it quite effectually, and 
without resorting to any barbarous methods. The 
question arises, shall we do it ? I think that we 
should, for it is no time for sentimental considerations 
to turn us aside from our duty. Union families 
within the rebel lines would perhaps regard them- 
selves fortunate if they could be sent within our lines 
if they could take with them their personal effects. 
To compel the removal of thousands of families would 
no doubt entail great hardships on many of them. 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 



But such hardships would be borne by them to save 
our people from the cruelties of their relatives and 
friends, whom they have been in the habit of harboring^ 
and encouraging. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

•General Schofield coldly received by the people of Leavenworth 
City— Colonels Jennison and Hoyt speak in Fort Scott— The 
crowd sing "John Brown's body lies mouldering in the 
grave," &c.— More of General Lane's Grand Army of Invasion 
—Few trophies to bring back — General Schofield issues an 
order against invasion — The Missouri State troops would 
resist it— Battle of Perryville and defeat of General Cooper- 
General Blunt captures Fort Smith — Generals Steele and Da- 
Tidson capture Little Rock — Colonel Blair sends out a recon- 
noissance — A new department wanted — General Gillmore 
captures Forts Wagner and Gregg in Charlestown Harbor- 
Sympathizers of the rebellion receive anonymous notices to 
leave the city— Supposed to be the action of the Union League 
—Arrival of General Blunt and StaflF and Colonel Judson— 
The Bourbon County Fair— Activity of the enemy along the 
border again. 

General Schofield, the commanding General of 
this department, visited Leavenworth City a few days 
ago, and was coldly received by the citizens. At a 
recent mass meeting held there to take action in regard 
to the Lawrence massacre, resolutions denouncing him 
as a sympathizer with the enemy, and demanding his 
removal, were adopted. Throughout the State the feel- 
ing against him is quite bitter, for nearly every one 
holds that he is exceedingly stupid or careless of his 



ON THE B0HDER-1SG3. 399 

clntv, to permit such a large force as Quantrell had to 
organize in the center of his Department, and march 
forty miles into Kansas without being pursued by our 
troops. Unless he can completely destroy QuantrelPs 
force immediately, which is now perhaps an impossi- 
hilty, the people of this State will petition President 
Lincoln to remove him from the command of this 
department. When the present excitement wears off 
a different feeling may prevail. 

Colonels Jennison and Hoyt made rousing speeches 
in town on the evening of the 7th, for the purpose of 
arousing the martial enthusiasm of our citizens to a 
point that will induce them to enlist into their regi- 
ment, the Fifteenth. Their efforts in this direction 
are very commendable; but when they endeavor to 
excite passions that need restraining, I cannot go with 
them. The lawless spirit is always rampant enough, 
without receiving a quasi public sanction. They talk- 
ed freely about burning everything in the two border 
tiers ot counties in Missouri, and received a few feeble 
cheers from the crowd. Colonel Hoyt was one of the 
attorneys who defended John Brown, when he was 
tried for treason by the Virginia authorities, and 
therefore drew a large crowd, as our people were curi- 
ous to see him and hear him speak. He is a young 
man of considerable talent, and should he conduct 
himself properly, perhaps has a brilliant future before 
him. In the course of the evening, before the crowd 
dispersed, the popular war song, "John Brown's body," 
<fcc.,was sung with a good deal of feeling and earnest- 



400 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

ness. There are many here who condemn John Brown's 
seizure of Harper's Ferry, and think that he deserved 
hanging for the invasion of Virginia. But fur my 
own part, I have regarded him as tlie first martyr of 
the war, and I believe that he will live as long in the 
memory of the nation, as any of our great military 
heroes. Historians of the future, who write even con- 
densed histories of this great contest, will not likely 
omit the name of John Brown from their introductory 
chapters. The name of this plain, simple man, in its 
present connection, will live in the hearts of liberty- 
loving people as long as onr national history lives. 
When the slave-holders hung him, they doubtless 
little thought that they were raising a storm that 
would shortly sweep away their cherished, and to 
them divinely ordained, institution. 

C)olonels Jennison and Hoyt left on the 8th for 
Paola, where they will join General Lane, who has 
perhaj)s nearly five thousand citizens assembled for the 
purpose of taking into consideration the plan of invad- 
ing Missouri. It has been published that those in favor 
of joining this Grand Army of Invasion, should bring 
with them fifteen days' rations, blankets and complete 
equipments for the field. Though General Lane is a 
great man in Kansas, and has great influence over her 
citizens, and could probably by his eloquence persuade 
many of them to follow him right np to the cannon's 
mouth, yet there are reasons for thinking that his citi- 
zen army will prove a failure; for it is not likely that 
his victorious torchbearers, even if thev should start 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 401 

out as gallant knights on such a glorious crusade, 
would bring back with them many valuable trophies 
and guerrilla chieftains bound in golden chains. The 
cream has been taken from the milk repeatedly, and 
those who took it have consumed it or left the country. 
The fine milch cow that once furnished the rich milk 
has been terribly beaten, and turned out to graze on 
thorns and thistles. 

It is now known to the people of this State that 
General Schofield has issued an order forbidding Gen- 
eral Lane's Grand Army of citizens invading Missouri 
without authority from General Ewing, the District 
Commander. This order, unless revoked, will probab- 
ly put a quietus on General Lane's contemplated inva- 
sion. Had he crossed the line and commenced to carry 
out his generally understood programme, it is now 
thoug-ht that he would have soon come in contact 
with the Missouri State troops. It is reported that 
they say with a good deal of emphasis, that they would 
shoot a Kansas invader, caught in the act of applying 
the torch to a Union man's property, just as quick as 
they Avould a bushwhacker caught in a similar act. It 
would be strange if they would stand idly by and see 
their homes destroyed by a mob. The idea of a mob 
of citizens from this State invading Missouri for the 
purpose of avenging the crime of Quantrell at Law- 
rence, has seemed to me wild from the beginning. I 
may remark, however, that there is an opportunity for 
those who have been clamoring for invasion to satisfy 
their martial ardor by enlisting into the service of the 
26 



402 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

United States immediately. They may have an oppor- 
tunity yet of satiating their thirst for war. 

Dispatches have just been received liere from Gen- 
eral Blunt announcing his capture of Fort Smith, and 
the defeat of General Cooper's army at Perryville, a 
small town in the Creek nation, about seventy-live 
miles south of Fort Gibson. At Perry vi lie. General 
Cooper's army was completely routed and dispersed, 
and a large number of anitnals and nearly all his com- 
missary stores captured. The enemy lost about twenty 
men killed and perhaps forty wounded and sixty pris- 
oners in the engagement. They made a very feeble 
stand, and when they broke they could not be rallied 
again. Our troo]3S pursued their flying columns far 
towards Eed River. General Blunt moved on Fort 
Smith with preparations for a hard flght; but the ene- 
my under General Cabell, after a little skirmishing 
west of the Potoe E-iver, withdrew, and General Blunt 
marched in and took possession of the Fort and City. 
The latest dispatches via St. Louis state Generals 
Steele and Davidson have captured Little Rock, the 
capital of Arkansas. The city was taken without any 
hard fighting, but the enemy contested the advance of 
our troops while marching across the country. If the 
forces of Generals Blunt and Davidson form a junction 
now, the Arkansas River can be opened to navigation 
above Little Rock. It may be, however, that it has 
not a sufficient volume of water at this season to float 
even light draft steamers. But if Little Rock can 
be made a depot of supplies by direct shipment from 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 403 

St. Louis, it will be more convenient for our troops 
at Fort Smith to transport their supplies from 
there than from this point. Fort Gibson, how- 
ever, will probably still receive supplies from 
this place, until the Arkansas River is opened to 
navigation. A month or more may be required to 
perfect arrangements for bringing supplies through 
from Little Rock to the Army of the Frontier at Fort 
Smith, so that, in the meantime, supply trains will be 
sent out from here as usual. The large supply train 
that leaves this post on the 13th, will go to Fort Smith 
via Fort Gibson. Since the Lawrence massacre has 
given Quantrell the reputation of possessing a bold 
and daring spirit, it is thought that he may venture 
to attack this train. If he cannot get together a force 
larger than the escort, he is not likely to make an at- 
tack. Colonel Blair has sent out a detachment of 
cavalry to the east and southeast of this place, for the 
purpose of ascertaining if there are any recent indi- 
cations of an enemy having passed down the border, 
or coming in from the south. The commanding offi- 
cer of the escort will, however, understand the neces- 
sity of being extremely vigilant. 

The politicians of this State are clamoring for a 
new department, to embrace Kansas and the Indian 
country. Senator Lane will probably prevail upon 
President Lincoln, to direct the Secretary of War to 
issue the necessary orders at an early day. As soon 
as its limits shall have been defined, it is proposed to 
have General Blunt put in command. Senator Lane 



404: MEMOIRS OF THE REBBLLION 

ought then to be happy. General Blunt has been 
very successful in all his military operations, and has 
the reputation of being a good fighter, so that he may 
wish a more active field than the new department will 
afford. Now that he has captured Fort Smith, west- 
ern Arkansas should be attached to his new depart- 
ment ; then he will have a section in which there is an 
organized enemy to contend with. In the Indian 
country, since the defeat of General Cooper at Fer- 
ryville, there is no foe worthy his attention. The bit- 
terness of the people of this State against General 
Schofield is, perhaps, in a large measure, unjustifiable. 
He is in a position where it is almost impossible to 
satisfy all factions and parties. He has received 
direct instructions from President Lincoln to favor no 
one faction of the Missouri Unionists more than the 
other. Mr. Lincoln has not only recognized the loyal 
element in Missouri, but he has done it to the extent 
of selecting one of his Cabinet ofiicers from that State. 
He seems to have watched over the State from the be- 
ginning of the war with special interest, for which her 
loyal people will ever feel grateful. 

It is now ofiicially announced that, after upwards 
of a month's bombardment, General Gillmore has 
captured Forts Wagner and Gregg, in Charleston Har- 
bor, and that the city of Charleston is entirely under 
his guns. The vigorous bombardment of the city 
itself will now soon be commenced. The rebel strong- 
holds are gradually crumbling before our victorious 
arms, and their territory is contracting day by day. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 405 

One must be stupidly blind not to see that we are rap- 
idly approaching the end of the struggle. The faint- 
hearted, and those who have all along doubted the 
ability of the government to crush the rebellion, 
should now fall into line, so that they may in the fu- 
ture have the pleasure of knowing, that towards the 
last of this important struggle they were on the side 
of justice and right, and did something towards main- 
taining our national life. 

Captain Coleman, Ninth Kansas Cavalry, had a 
lively skirmish with a party of QuantrelPs men on 
the 17th instant, killing three of the guerrillas and 
wounding several others. He also captured from them 
a considerable amount of the property' which they 
took from Lawrence, such as horses, mules, goods, etc. 
Two of our soldiers were wounded in the affair, but 
not mortally. 

Captain iN". B. Lucas, of the Sixth Kansas cavalry, 
who has just came up from Fort Gibson with his com- 
pany as an escort for General DuBoice, Inspector 
General, will continue his escort duty to Kansas City, 
and then remain in that section for a while to operate 
against the guerrillas of Jackson and Cass counties. 
He served with us in the Indian division under Colo- 
nel Phillips until General Blunt came down, and I 
know that he is an efficient officer, and that the enemy 
will feel his presence, now that he is detailed for duty 
on the border. When I recall our service together in 
the Indian country, I almost regret that Colonel Blair 
has requested of General Blunt my temporary detail 



406 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

for special duty at this post, for it is mncli more satis- 
factory to be able to chronicle important events on the 
spot, than to chronicle them after sifting the state- 
ments of half a dozen persons. This, however, is a 
central position, from which I can follow the move- 
ments of our troops to the north of us along the bor- 
der, or to the south, down the border as far as Fort 
Smith and Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory. 

On the 21st, quite a number of citizens of this 
place, who are believed to be in sympathy with the 
rebellion, received anonymous notices that they must 
leave the city within ten days, if they regard their 
personal safety as a matter of serious consideration. It 
is generally thought that these notices have been sent 
out by direction of the Union League of Fort Scott. 
I am inclined to believe that this opinion is correct, 
for, in a conversation with several members of the 
League, with which I am somewhat in sympathy, they 
tacitly admitted that such was the case. In war times 
those who naturally dislike secret political organiza- 
tions, feel compelled to adopt extraordinary measures 
for their own safety. A great deal of leniency has 
been shown certain rebel sympathizers here. The 
soldiers and loyal citizens feel that those who sympa- 
thize with the rebellion, on account of the danger of 
their betraying us, if possible, into the hands of a foe 
that has unfurled the black flag, should not be per- 
mitted to remain in our midst. The great crime of 
the Lawrence massacre, that has sent a thrill of horror 
through the hearts of the loyal community, has pro- 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 407 

diiced in the rebel sympathizers a feeling of self-satis- 
faction, unless the expressions of their countenances 
belie them. We cannot afford to tolerate among us 
men who would betray us, and then have us cruelly 
murdered. Though some of those who received the 
notices alluded to above, have been quite bitter in 
their denunciations of the government, recently they 
liave been more cautious and discreet, and have rarely 
let slip any strong language. From inquiries, it ap- 
pears that quite a number of those who received 
warnings will leave ihis place temporarily, any way. 
They ought to be able to see that, to the loyal mind, 
they are regarded almost in the light of spies. A 
number of officers also received these anonymous 
notices. In several instances the thing w^as carried 
too far. 

General Blunt and staff and Colonel William 
R. Judson, and a number of other officers belono-- 
ing to the Army of the Frontier, arrived at this 
post Wednesday, the 23d, from Fort Smith. A 
brilliant reception was given the General and his 
party. Colonel C. W. Blair, commanding the troops 
here, ordered them out as a compliment to the hero 
of many battles. He also directed Captain Smith's 
battery to fire a Major General's salute, and the bands 
to take their proper place in the line. 

Colonel Blair, who is one of the finest orators in the 
State, if not indeed in the West, made the reception 
speech, in charming and elegant language. The an- 
nouncement that Colonel Blair is to speak on any oc- 



^ 



408 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

casion, is always sufficient to draw an immense crowd 
in this section. But aside from this fact, the citizens 
and soldiers of Fort Scott felt like honoring General 
Blunt for his brilliant campaign in northwestern Ar- 
kansas last fall, and for his scarcely less brilliant cam- 
paign in the Indian country the last two months, end- 
ing in the capture of Fort Smith. I must remark, 
however, that most of the glory claimed for him in 
his recent campaign justly belongs to Colonel William 
A. Phillips, whose heroic action through six months 
of extraordinary trials, made possible the recent 
achievements of our arms in the Indian country. 

A detachment of soldiers which has just come from 
Southwest Missouri, state that Colonel M. La Kue Harri- 
son, of the First Kansas cavalry, had a fight on the 
21st with the rebel forces of Colonels Coffey and 
Brown, near the mouth of Buffalo Creek, ISTewton 
County, Missouri, and killed five of the enemy and 
wounded several others. This recent action indicates 
that Colonel Harrison is improving in figliting quali- 
ties. His precipitate retreat from Fayetteville last 
spring, when he was expected to co-operate with Colo- 
nel Phillips, was not by any means very creditable to 
him, and if what has been reported in regard to the 
matter be true, should have subjected him to censure 
by court martial. Perhaps he has determined to wipe 
out that little stain from his record 

A great battle was fought on the 19th and 20th in- 
stant, near Chattanooga, Tennessee, between the forces 
of General Rosecrans, about sixty thousand strong. 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 409 

and the combined rebel forces of Generals Bragg, 
Longstreet and Hill, estimated at upwards of a hun- 
dred thousand men. It is reported that the losses in 
killed and wounded on both sides, will foot up twenty- 
five thousand men. Our troops have suffered a tempo- 
rary check in their forward movement. It is the inten- 
tion, however, to renew the contest as soon as rein- 
forcements come up. 

Our scouts brought in a report on Sunday, the 27th, 
that a band of guerrillas near :N'evada, Yernon Coun- 
ty, Missouii, have had under consideration a scheme 
to kill or capture our pickets between Fort Scott and 
the State line, and then make a raid on this place. 
Colonel Blair, however, had found out their intentions 
from his scouts, and has thwarted their contemplated 
movement by sending a detachment of cavalry to look 
after them. He has had the picket guards very skill- 
fully posted between this post and Missouri, so that 
if the enemy should kill or capture the men on the 
outer station, they would not be able to pass the inner 
stations without causing alarm. 

General Blunt who has been here since the 23d in- 
stant, is making preparations to return to Fort Smith, 
in about a week, to take command of the Army of the 
Frontier. The headquarters of his district will be re- 
moved from here, and his assistant adjutant general, 
Major II. Z. Curtis, who has been here attending to 
the regular business of the district, will accompany 
him, taking along all the records of the office. 

The Bourbon County Fair commenced at this place 



410 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

on the 30th, with a large attendance from all parts of 
the county. This is the first fair ever held in this 
section of the State, and the exhibitions of stock, agri- 
cultural productions, handy works of the ladies, &c., 
will compare favorably with the county fairs of the 
older States. To see the great throng of people from 
the country deeply interested in exhibiting their vari- 
ous productions, and discussing the merits of this or 
that animal, or this or that agricultural product, al- 
most makes the soldier forget that he is a soldier. 
Many of those dressed in blue, who were in attend- 
ance to-day, will perhaps dream to-night of the peace- 
ful times when their minds were filled with thoughts 
pertaining to the duties of domestic and social life. 
They will be wholly unconscious that they are sleeping 
in the habilaments of war, and that the storm may 
break forth upon them at any moment. Those who 
have been in service on the border since the begin- 
ning of the war, know that they maybe aroused any 
night by the beating of the long roll^ or the distant 
firing of the enemy, driving in our outposts, ^o 
town on the border has been subjected to so much ex- 
citement of this kind as this place. 

Dispatches received from Fort Smith state that 
Colonel Cloud's brigade has been ordered back from 
that-section to the southern line of Missouri, in con- 
sequence of the threatened invasion by a j)o^tion of 
General Price's army, recently driven from Little 
K-ock by our troops under Generals Steele and 
Davidson. Colonel Bowen, commanding the 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 41 1 

Second Brigade, stationed at Webber's Falls aljove 
Fort Smith, lias probably marched to the latter place 
by this time, to relieve Colonel Cloud. Unless Gen- 
erals Steele and Davidson continue the pursuit of 
Price's army from Little Kock, it will likely either 
march to Fort Smith, and attack our forces there, or 
turn north and invade Missouri. From such informa- 
tion as I can obtain, it looks as if the cavalry divisions 
of Marmaduke and Shelby were preparing for an im- 
mediate invasion of Missouri. The country north of 
the Arkansas Kiver, above Little Rock, is open to the 
northern line of the State, and they would meet with 
little or no opposition until they passed into Missouri. 
But as soon as they enter that State, they are not likely 
to find much time for rest until they leave it, for the 
State troops and volunteers stationed at the different 
points, can soon concentrate in sufficient force to keep 
them moving. Since Ticks burg has fallen, and Little 
Rock abandoned. Price's army has really nothing else 
to do but to send its cavalry on this contemplated raid. 
The cavalry divisions above mentioned are composed 
of Missourians, and the officers and men in them will 
anxiously join an expedition that will give them an 
opportunity of briefly visiting their families and 
homes. I have seen enough to convince me that men 
apparently destitute of sympathetic and tender feel- 
ings, will subject themselves without a ninrmur to ex- 
traordinary dangers and hardships, if there is a pros- 
pect that they will be able to see only for a few mo- 
ments, their families and those very dear to them. 



412 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

While the enemy perhaps have no thought of perma- 
nent occupation, they doubtless think that a successful 
raid to the interior of the State will give them nu- 
merous recruits, strengthen their cause, and show to 
the country that the confederacy is not dead yet. 
Should they be successful in accomplishing only a part 
of their probable plan, it will stimulate the Copper- 
heads of the north to continue their opposition to the 
Government, and to renew the cry that "the war is a 
failure." The Government has shown them great len- 
iency, for under other governments less moderate than 
ours in their treatment of criminals, many of them 
would have been hung for their traitorous speeches 
and actions. The patience of the loyal people has 
been tried almost to the last extremity. 



CHAPTER XXIL 

General Blnnt, Staff and Escort start to Fort Smith— Two Sol- 
diers killed near Fort Scott by the enemy— Signs of an ap- 
proaching storm— The enemy endeavor to capture or kill the 
Federal pickets, and to make a dash on Fort Scott— General 
Blunt's escort attacked by Quantrell near Baxter Springs, and 
nearly all killed— Colonel Blair with a cavalry force to the 
rescue — Members of the Band burned in the Band wagon — 
The enemy defeated by Lieutenant Pond at Baxter Springs— 
The invasion of Missouri by General Shelby, with two thou- 
sand cavalry and three pieces of artillery — The Missouri 
State militia in pursuit of him— The Militia capture his artil- 
lery and disperse his force — General E wing's force joins in 
the pursuit of the enemy— The enemy driven from the State- 
General John McNeil to take command of the Federal troops 
at Fort Smith — General Lane speaks in Fort Scott — General 
Blunt starts to Fort Smith again. 

General Blunt and Staff, his fine band, and every- 
thing pertaining to the Headquarters District of the 
Frontier^ left this post the evening of the 4th inst., 
for Fort Smith ma Fort Gibson. His escort is made 
up of detachments from the Fourteenth Kansas caval- 
ry and one Company Third Wisconsin cavalry, and 
his band all belongs to the latter regiment. The sol- 
diers belonging to the escort, the members of the 
band, and the officers of his Stafi*, altogether number 



414 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

about one hundred and fifty men. The papers and 
records j)ertaimng to Headquarters, were mostly care- 
fully packed in boxes a few days ago, under the eye of 
Major H. Z. Curtis, Assistant Adjutant General. Ma- 
jor Curtis' wife, a beautiful and accomplished lady, 
who has been here with her husband several months, also 
left the same day for her home in Iowa. The Band for 
half an hour before the General took leave of his 
friends, played some very fine selections while sitting 
in their seats in the Band wagon in front of Colonel 
Blair's residence, on the north side of the piazza. To 
me the music seemed unusually sweet. I think that 
each member must have taken special pains to per- 
form his part well. A band wagon has been fitted up 
for their special purpose, and is drawn by four fine 
horses. The horses looked as if they were proud of 
the service required of them. At five o'clock General 
Blunt and some of his Staff" got into his carriage, the 
bugle sounded the march and the escort filed out, with 
its silken guidon gayly flying at the head of the column. 
Jle intended to march fifteen to twenty miles that 
i;iight, and then stop a few hours to refresh his men 
and animals with food and rest. At the rate he usu- 
ally travels, he will reach Baxter Springs on the even- 
ing of the 5th, and Fort Gibson two days later. 

Two soldiers of the Fourteenth Kansas cavalry, who 
were permitted to return home in Yernon County, 
Missouri, to see their families before starting south 
with their regiment shortly, were killed on the night 
of the 4th inst. It is reported that there were upwards 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 415 

of a hundred of the enemy in the party who killed these 
men. The young lady, a daughter or relative of one 
of the murdered men, who brought in the information, 
did not, in the excitement caused by the shooting, as- 
certain the name of the commanding officer under 
whom the rebels were acting. No loyal man in the 
Border Counties of Missouri can stop at his home a 
single night without great danger. It is folly to attempt 
it. From such facts as I have collected, however, I am 
satisfied that they have very recently entered the State, 
and are perhaps an advance detachment from the in- 
vading force mentioned several days ago. Though I 
can get no definite information as to whether the ene- 
my are about to invade Missouri in force, I think that 
I have learned enough to justify me in saying that the 
rumbling sound of the distant thunder may be heard, 
and that the storm is beyond doubt coming, and may 
be upon us in a few days. 

Colonel Blair for several days has been busy in put- 
ting everything in fighting order, in the event of the 
enemy making an attack on this post. There was an 
alarm in town on the night of the 4th, and the troops 
were under arms in a few moments. A considerable 
force of the enemy endeavored to make a dash on this 
place, or to capture or kill our pickets near the State 
line. ( )ur picket guard at the outer station, as soon 
as they discovered the movements of the enemy, fired 
a signal, and then rode into this post as swiftly as pos- 
sible, so that everything might be in readiness to re- 
<5eive the rebels should they have decided to make an 



416 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

attack. Immediatery after the troops were aroused 
and under arms, Colonel Blair sent out detach- 
ments of cavalry on all the roads leading in here from 
Missouri, to discover, if practicable, the intentions of 
the enemy. The cavalry, however, returned the next 
morning, and the officers reported that they found no 
signs of the enemy having appeared nearer here than 
the outer picket station, and that their trail indicated 
that they then marched off in a northeast direction. 
It is supposed that when they found their scheme was 
discovered by our pickets and the alarm given, that 
they gave up the idea of making an attack on the post. 
Had they attempted to come in, we would really have 
had the advantage, for we could have ambushed them 
at half a dozen points, Information brought in by 
our scouts on the 5th, and information from other 
sources, made it almost certain that the several detach- 
ments of the enemy which have passed so near us the 
last two days, are a part of the invading force of Gen- 
eral Shelby. 

The 7th was a day of great excitement at this post* 
Colonel Blair received a dispatch about one o'clock in 
the morning from Baxter Springs, stating that Gen- 
eral Blunt's escort had been attacked near that place 
by a force under Quantrell, about live hundred strong, 
and that nearly all his men and most of his staff were 
killed and captured. The alarm was again sounded, 
and all the troops called out under arms. Colonel 
Blair immediately took most of the cavalry and started 
to the relief of General Blunt. He left instructions. 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 417 

however, looking to the safety of this post. Later in 
the day, two men who were with General Blunt in the 
engagement of Monday evening, and three men who 
were with Lieutenant Pond, commanding the station 
at Baxter Spings, arrived here and furnished addi- 
tional particulars. 

Between four and five o'clock Monday, 5th instant, 
Quantrell with tliree hundred men, and an officer be- 
longing to Shelby's command, with about two hun- 
dred men, attacked the station at Baxter Springs. 
But as the companies there under Lieutenant Pond 
have rifle pits thrown up around a block house fur- 
nished with port-holes for small arms, the enemy, 
after repeated charges, could not dislodge them. While 
they continued the attack they soon saw that the cas- 
ualties were likely to be all on their side. Lieutenant 
Pond had also one howitzer, which was effectually 
used, for when the enemy came near enough he poured 
grape and canister into their ranks with good effect. 
But they took the precaution to put a guard out on 
the military road leading from Fort Scott, about a 
mile north of Baxter Springs. Along towards five 
o'clock the guard discovered General Blunt's escort 
coming in sight, perhaps nearly two miles distant on 
the prairie. Quantrell was quickly informed, and im- 
mediately abandoned the attack on Baxter, and 
marched to meet General Blunt. The General's 
escort had just emerged from the strip of timber on 
Brush Creek, when the advance saw coming over 
a ridge in the prairie from towards Baxter, about 
27 



418 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

two hundred yards off, a large force dressed in 
Federal uniform. 

The officer in command of the escort supposed that 
they were the troops from Baxter Springs. As soon 
as Quantrell was informed of the approach of Gen- 
eral Blnnt's escort, he posted several men in a position 
to observe it pass over a ridge in the prairie on the 
north side of Brush Creek, a mile or so distant, and to 
estimate the approximate number of men by the 
length of the column. With a good spy-glass the 
number of men in the escort could easily have been 
counted while passing over the ridge. Quantrell 
therefore knew that there was less than two companies 
in the escort, and marched forward to attack it with- 
out stopping to halt. The commanding officer of the 
escort made no effort to form his men in line until the 
enemy had come within fifty yards and opened fire. 
General Blunt, and several of his staff, quickly got out 
of his carriage and commenced to direct the move- 
ments of his men. But as the enemy had approached 
nearer, and were keeping up a steady fire, the escort 
fell back in some disorder. General Blunt endeav- 
ored to rally his men, but as the enemy were closing 
around him on all sides, it was impossible to keep them 
firm under the galling fire. In less than half an hour 
the entire escort and wagons were surrounded by the 
enemy. General Blunt and fifteen to twenty men cut 
their way through and escaped, but not without bullet 
holes through their clothing. -^.11 the rest of the 
escort, members of the band, and teamsters, were 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 419 

killed or wounded, and lay on the field within the ra- 
dius of half a mile. The wounded who escaped death 
were supposed to liave been killed, for every wounded 
man the enemy saw showing signs of life, they shot 
through the head or heart. A few of our soldiers fell 
into the hands of Shelby's men, who participated in 
the engagement, and were protected and treated as pris- 
oners of war, but not without expressions of dissatis- 
faction on the part of Quantrell's men. Our loss in 
the affair already foots up eighty-five killed and about 
twenty wounded. Some of the wounded will die, and 
perhaps a few more of those who were wounded and 
died on the prairie in the vicinity of the field of the 
disaster, will be found, so that our total loss is not 
likely to fall short of ninety -five men. General Blunt 
had about a dozen wagons with him, and had he or- 
dered them corraled immediately after the enemy open- 
ed fire, he could probably have resisted the attack. He 
may, however, have been pressed too closely to have had 
time to corral his wagons. ^N early all the members of 
the band were shot through the head, the band wagon 
set on fire, and their bodies burned in it. Their 
scorched and charred remains presented a horrible 
sight. Nearly all the band were Germans, and sev- 
eral of the ruffians are reported to have exclaimed : 
" This shall be the fate of the lopped-eared Dutch of 
Lincoln's hirelings!" Major Curtis' horse was shot 
under him, and he was shot and killed after having 
become dismounted. The bodies of Major Curtis, 
Lieutenant Farr, General Blunt's Judge Advocate, 



420 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

and two soldiers, will arrive here on the 8th, to 
be sent north. 

The losses of the enemy in the engagements with 
Lieutenant Pond and General Bhmt, are estimated at 
about thirteen killed. About a dozen of their men 
have been found on the field, and they are known to 
have carried away some of their killed and wounded. 
Their heaviest loss, however, was in the attack on the 
block-house, and they could not have taken it without 
artillery. General Blunt thought that they had cap- 
tured Lieutenant Pond's force, or he would have made 
an effort to fight his way to it. Or had Lieutenant 
Pond known of the approach of General Blunt, and 
that the enemy had marched away to attack him, he 
could and it would have been his duty to have attacked 
him in the rear. 

Quantrell took General Blunt's carriage with him, 
and marched south in the direction of Fort Gibson, 
and Shelby's men marched northward, and were, per- 
haps, the force that fired into our pickets again on the 
night of the 7th. 

General Blunt and Colonel Blair arrived on the 
morning of the 12th, from Baxter Springs. As Gen- 
eral Blunt now has definite information that Shelby, 
Gordon and Hunter have invaded Missouri, with a 
force of about two thousand men and three pieces of 
light artillery, and are marching northward, he will 
probably remain here a week or so, to make such dis- 
position of his troops as will best protect the border 
counties of Kansas. This being a large depot of army 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 421 

supplies, and only a few miles from the State line, it 
is thought that Shelby may turn aside and attack us 
liere in a few days. But we have one battery, beside 
four twenty-four pound siege guns, and troops enough 
to hold the place several days against an enemy of two 
thousand men. The heights to the east of us, should 
the enemy get possession of them, would give him 
positions from which he could throw shells into the 
town. 

General Blunt has sent orders for the troops stationed 
at Webber's Falls and Skullyville to move into Fort 
Smith, and all the Indian troops stationed at different 
points in the Nation to concentrate at Fort Gibson. 
If Colonel Phillips has returned to take command of 
the Indian division, we need have no fears of the ene- 
my capturing Fort Gibson. It is reported that General 
Shelby, with the assistance of his artillery, has been 
able to capture one or two posts in southwest Mis- 
souri. The militia, not being aware that the enemy 
had artillery with them, undertook to defend their sta- 
tions, and were surrounded and attacked with it 
at short range, and compelled to surrender. Their 
losses, however, by capture have been quite light. 
Shelby has moved through Missouri very rapidly, hav- 
ing met with no serious opposition at first. But he had 
marched only a few days through the State when he ra n 
into a hornet's nest. General Brown, commanding the 
State militia in Central Missouri, attacked him at Mar- 
shall a small town in Saline county, on the 13th instant, 
and after two hours' hard fighting, captured all his ar- 



422 MEMOIKS OF THE REBELLION 

tillery, and dispersed his men in every direction. The 
enemy lost twenty men killed and a large number 
wounded, and a few prisoners. Nearly all the militia 
in southwest Missouri have joined the chase. General 
Ewing, commanding District of the Border, includ- 
ing border counties of Missouri, has taken the field in 
person, and is determined to press the enemy vigor- 
ously until they are driven from the State. 

Lieutenant R. J. Lewis, of the Sixth Kansas cavalry, 
and Judge Advocate on the Staff of General Ewing, 
arrived here the night of the 16th, direct from the 
troops in the field, for the purpose of having requisi- 
tions for ammunition, quartermaster and commissary 
supplies, filled and sent forward at the earliest practi- 
cable moment. After the engagement at Marshall, 
most of Shelby's force retreated in a westward direc- 
tion, and soon came in contact with General Ewing's 
forces. The State troops under General Brown did 
not stop the pursuit after the fight at Marshall, but are 
co-operating with General Ewing with hope of captur- 
ing Shelby's entire force. While our troops w^ill not 
likely capture a very large proportion of the raiding 
force, they will prevent it from taking much property 
from the State. From the turn aftairs have taken, it is 
thought that Shelby will be disappointed in regard to 
increasing his army of invasion. He is losing by de- 
sertions, and by those who have had enough of the 
rebellion and are surrendering to our authorities, ful- 
ly as many men as he is gaining by rebel sympathizers 
joining him from the localities through which he pas- 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 423 

ses. We shall not complain if he takes from the State 
every bushwhacker and rebel sympathizer in it. Sev- 
eral couriers who have just arrived from Fort Gibson 
state that Quantrell's force crossed the Arkansas River 
about a week ago, a few miles above that post. They 
surprised and killed six Indian soldiers and two or 
three negroes near tlie mouth of the Yerdigris River. 
One of the negroes which they captured they intended 
to take with them to Texas. He escaped one niglit, 
however, and reached Fort Gibson after several day's 
wandering in the Kation. He states that he heard 
them say that they were on their way to Texas, and 
would not return to Missouri until towards spring. 
They regarded General Blunt's carriage as quite a 
trophy, and intend to exhibit it to their friends and 
admirers in Texas. 

A messenger came in from the Osage Mission, Octo- 
ber 20th, and reported that there was a small rebel 
force in the vicinity of that place on the night of the 
18th, under Cy Gordon. They committed some petty 
depredations and then left. 

On the 18th instant General Ewing's forces overtook 
and had a skirmish with Shelby's rear guard at Car- 
thage, Jasper county, Missouri, and captured thirty 
prisoners, including one Major. No better officer 
could be sent against the enemy in the field than Gen- 
eral Ewing. Some stragglers are also being daily 
picked up. The rebels are said to be much exhausted 
from constant marching and fighting since they inva- 
ded the State. It is difficult to capture a cavah'y force 



424 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

or compel it to fight, when its commanding ofiicer does 
not wish to risk an eno^agement with his adversary. 
In his dispatches General Ewing states that he will 
continue the pursuit of the enemy to the southern 
line of Missouri. And if they do not keep dwindling 
in numbers until there is only a corporal's gnard to 
pursue, he will perhaps continue to follow them far 
into Arkansas. 

There is some talk now that General John McNeil, 
who has for several months been in command ot the dist- 
trict of Southwest Missouri, will soon relieve General 
Blunt of the command of the troops at Fort Smith. It 
is not thought by a good many that General Blunt 
should be relieved j ust at this time. The Baxter Springs 
disaster, should not, his friends say, be deemed a suffi- 
cient cause for his removal. It v/as more of an accident 
than a blunder. He is a brave officer, and has never be- 
fore met with defeat. He is popular with the Army of 
the Frontier, and it is not generally thought that the 
recent disaster would lessen the confidence of the sol- 
diers in him. He will go down with the supplj^ train 
in a few days at any rate, though it may be for the 
purpose of turning over his command. If, however, he 
desires to keep his command. Senator Lane will doubt- 
less use his influence in his behalf. 

General Thomas Ewing has been assigned to the com- 
mand of the District of Kansas, wdth headquarters at 
this post. The border tier of counties of Missouri, 
as far south as Barton county, will be included in his 
district. He is expected to assume command of his 



UN THE BORI)ER-1863. 425 

new district in a few days, or jnstas soon as l>e returns 
from the expedition in pursuit of Shelby's raiders. 

Major W. C. Eansom, of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry, 
arrived here on the 23d, with about four hundred men, 
direct from General Ewing's command, which he left 
at Neosho, Missouri. He has come up for ammuni- 
tion and other supplies for the troops with General 
Ewing. He reports our men short of almost every- 
thing, and much worn from constant marching and 
skirmishing with the enemy for the last two weeks. 
He is one of the most experienced and efficient officers 
on duty along the border, and no better one could have 
been selected to perform an important service like that 
which has been intrusted to him. In recosrnition of 
his well-known abilities, General Lyon, in July, 1861, 
authorized him to raise the regiment to which lie be- 
longs. He worked more industriously and persist- 
ently in organizing and drilling his regiment than any 
other officer in it. Kansas may well be proud of him. 

Senator Lane made a big speech from the balcony 
of the Wilder House on the evening of the 24th, to a 
large audience. He discussed the political issues of 
the day, the prospect of the early collapse of the Con- 
federacy, and was particularly severe, and in my opin- 
ion justly, on the Copperheads of the JS'orth, or those 
who are opposing and embarrassing the Government 
in its efforts to crush the rebellion. He has appar- 
ently abajidoned, and 1 think very sensibly, the 
scheme of his crusade into Missouri, as he did not 
refer to it directly. It would be difficult to see how 



426 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

he could advocate it in the light of recent events — that 
is, in the face of the heroic bravery displayed by the 
Missouri State troops in capturing the enemy's artil- 
lery, and dispersing his forces. General Blunt was 
also called out, and made a short and neat little 
speech. He is not much of a speaker, and it is not 
likely that he is in the proper frame of mind to dis- 
play his eloquence, even if he were an orator. There is 
little doubt but that he is still very sensitive in regard 
to the Baxter Springs misfortune, and probably feels 
that the eyes of the public are severely upon him. 
He knows that an officer whom the Government trusts 
with the lives of thousands of men, is expected to see 
to it that their lives shall not be wantonly or stupidly 
sacrificed -by placing them in positions where they 
must contend with the foe under extraordinary disad- 
vantages. 

General Ewing and Staff and Escort arrived here 
October 27th, from Neosho, Missouri, having chased 
Shelby's flyiug columns beyond Cassville, and within 
a few miles of the Arkansas line. The enemy kept 
breaking up into so many small detachments, that there 
was not much of a force to pursue towards the last. 
The troops are all returning, and will go to their regu- 
lar stations, since the storm that has swept over south- 
west and central Missouri has now nearly subsided. 
A retrospect of the recent military operations in Mis- 
souri shows that the enemy have lost more by the in- 
vasion than they gained. 

The supply train started on the 28th instant for 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 427 

Fort Smith; General Blunt accompanies it. The es- 
cort is composed of the Second Kansas colored infan- 
try, two companies of the Fourteenth Kansas cavalry, 
Captain Smith's battery of light artillery of four rilled 
guns, one battalion of the Twelfth Kansas infantry, 
and General Blunt's escort. General McNeil and 
Colonel Cloud left Springfield about three days ago, 
for Fort Smith, and will not likely leave undisturbed 
any considerable force of the enemy that might be in 
northwestern Arkansas. On account of the rain and 
snow-storm which has prevailed in this section for 
several days j)ast, the roads are heavy, and the prog- 
ress of the train will be slower than usual. And the 
infantry, too, will find it disagreeable marching. A 
few days' march, however, will bring them into a re- 
gion where the roads are firmer. Some of the troops 
fi^oine: down now will have seen their first service in 
the field. But they have had sufiicient instruction to 
become acquainted with their duties, and no doubt 
will make good soldiers. 

It appears from dispatches received from Fort Smith 
that the scattered forces of Generals Cooper, Marma- 
duke and Shelby are reorganizing, and making prepa- 
rations to march against that place with about uii\e 
thousand men and eighteen pieces of field artillery. 
But when we take into account the badly demoralized 
condition of Cooper's and Shelby's forces, we may 
conclude that such an army cannot be called into ex- 
istence in a few days, nor even in a few weeks. While 
the rebel Generals in Arkansas and the Indian Terri- 



428 MEMOIKS OF THE KEBELLION 

tory may be able shortly to collect together a suffi- 
cient number of troops to make a demonstration 
against Fort Smith, it is not at all probable that they 
can organize an army very soon of such strength as 
will enable them to make a successful assault, assum- 
ing of course that all our troops in the vicinity of that 
place have been concentrated there, and would be 
handled to the best possible advantage. We have got 
a firm footing at Fort Smith, and will be able to hold 
western Arkansas and the Indian country, unless our 
officers make some unpardonable blunder. It is not 
likely that General Marmaduke will be permitted to 
occupy the country north of the Arkansas Kiver much 
longer. Should he endeavor to confine his operations 
to the central or eastern portion of the State, north of 
the river, General Steele, commanding an army at 
Little Kock, should be able to send a force against him 
and compel him to leave that section. Or if he 
should move into northwestern Arkansas, Generals 
Blunt and McNiel will look after him very closely, 
and it is not thought that he or General Shelby will 
attempt to make another raid through Missouri at 
present. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

All quiet along the Border— Lovely Indian Summer— Theory 
accounting for the Smoky condition of the Atmosphere — 
Reprehensible conduct of a Detachment on scouting service 
—Discussion over the question, "Who shall be the Com^ 
manding General of the District ?"— Rebel guerrillas in the vi- 
cinity of Humboldt— Colonel Moonlight takes command of 
the Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry — Lieutenant Josling on a 
scout to Osage Mission— A Cold Wave— Distressing condition 
of Refugees— General Blunt authorized to raise another Col- 
ored Regiment — Citizens of Fort Scott opposed to Colonel 
Jennison taking command of the post — The supply train 
starts South — A Military Telegraph to be constructed to Fort 
Scott— Twelfth Kansas Infantry oi route to Fort Smith— Fed- 
eral expedition towards Texas — "Mountain Federals" in Ar- 
kansas — They annoy the enemy. 

We are able to welcome the first day of No- 
vember with the expression, "All is quiet along the 
Border." There have been very few days during the 
last three months that one would think of making 
such a remark. It is almost unnecessary to state here 
that we need not congratulate ourselves with the 
thought that this jDcaceful state will continue very long. 
Not many weeks are likely to elapse before we shall 
hear of guerrilla depredations in some of the border 
counties, causing at least a ripple of disturbance in the 



430 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

public mind. But the present peaceful condition is in 
admirable harmony with our lovely "Indian Sum- 
mer," that has just set in. The whole visible horizon 
is tinged with smoke, as if we were in the neighbor- 
hood of a great conflagration. But the southwest 
breeze is soft and balmy, and altogether one could 
hardly wish for a more delightful season. As this sec- 
tion is all prairie, except strips of timber along the 
streams, we are without the great variety of autumnal 
tints, presented by extensive w^oodlands. To look out 
over our broad prairies is often compared to looking 
out over the ocean. The undulations or ridges of our 
prairies take the place of waves on the ocean. 

In regard to the smoky condition of the atmosphere 
during "Indian Summer," it is generally thought, in 
this section, to be caused by the burning of the grass 
from the extensive prairie regions of the northwest. 
Though the breeze is from the southwest to-day, the 
smoke came with a chilly northwest wind. And the 
belief that it is caused by prairie fires, is strengthened 
-by the fact, that when it first overspreads the country, 
particularly if there is a little more than the usual 
amount of moisture in the atmosphere, the smell of 
burning grass is distinctly noticeable by those having 
sensitive olfactory organs. I cannot champion this 
theory, however, for the smell of burnt grass might 
be due to prairie fires in the neighborhood. I 
am not sure that the number of square miles of 
prairie in the northwest denuded of grass every 
year by fire, would produce smoke enough to 



ON THE BORDEII-18G3. 431 

overspread such a wide region as we have to 
account for. 

Captain Willets, of the Fourteenth Kansas cavah-y, 
who was sent out several days ago by Colonel Blair, 
on scouting service in the direction of Lamar, Mis- 
souri, returned with his company on the Brd, 
via Osage Mission, Kansas. He found no enemy, 
but, from accounts that have reached here, he per- 
mitted his men to engage in disreputable depredations, 
robbery and murder. If the statements made in re- 
gard to the matter are true, he deserves severe cen- 
sure, if not indeed summary dismissal from the ser- 
vice. Gold hunting is not the business of our officers 
•and soldiers, and when they undertake to engage in it 
they are no longer lit to wear the blue uniform of the 
United States Army. There are too many officers who 
do not appreciate the responsibility resting upon them 
in regard to controlling the actions of their men. Every 
officer of the army should be a gentleman, and have 
proper regard for his position. Several scouts who have 
just come from the supply train ^vhich General Blunt 
accompanied en router to Fort Smith a week ago, report 
that near the Arkansas line four of our soldiers were 
captured by the enemy. There was no prospect, how- 
ever, of the rebel force under Colonel Brooks, which 
was at Huntsville recently, attacking the train. 

There is some discussion just now as to whether 
General Blunt shall retain command of this district 
or not. His friends claim for him, also, that he is real- 
ly the ranking Major General in the Department, as 



432 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

the appointment of Scliofield as a Major General has 
not jet been confirmed by the United States Senate. But 
this continual wrangling of politicians, contractors, and 
sutlers, over the question as to who shall command the de- 
partment and each of the different districts into which it 
is divided, does not tend to advance the interests of 
the public service. What do hangers-on of the army 
care for the efficiency and honesty of a commanding 
officer, if they can get permits from him to steal cot- 
ton and ship it north? At such times as we are now 
passing through, complaints are just about as likely 
to be made against an honest and efficient as against a 
dishonest and inefficient commanding General. Our 
officers holding important positions, if they wish to 
leave the service with clean records, cannot be too 
guarded in their dealings with those who are able to 
present credentials from men of high social and polit- 
ical standing. Money-making adventurers who are 
profiting by the misfortunes of the country, are, every 
loyal man knows, entitled to very little consideration 
from those who are conscientiously endeavoring to as- 
sist the Government in suppressing the rebellion. 

Information was received on the Tth instant, that 
rebel guerrillas are getting troublesome again in the 
vicinity of Humboldt, forty miles west of this jwst. It 
seems that they have burned some property along the 
Neosho River below there, besides committing some 
petty depredations on the property of the loyal citi- 
zens of Allen County. Fears are entertained that 
they may sack and burn Humboldt, as we have no 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 433 

troops stationed there at present. The rebels engaged 
in these depredations are supposed to be a part of Liv- 
ingston's old band, and to have crossed the State line 
near Baxter Springs, and marched up the Neosho val- 
ley. That they should be able to remain in the State 
and in the same neighborhood a week or so, is a little 
surprising. General Lane's plan of burning every- 
thing in that section would perhaps be the most effec- 
tual way of getting rid of them. But the people 
would probably protest that such heroic treatment for 
the cure of the disease would be worse than the dis- 
ease itself. 

Colonel Thomas Moonlight arrived here on the Sth 
from Leavenworth to take command of his regiment, 
the Fourteenth Kansas cavalry. He is determined to 
have it thoroughly armed and equipped at once, and 
every spare moment is to be devoted to drilling it, so 
that it will be ready to go south with the next train. 
He is a brilliant officer, and has served with distinc- 
tion, as Chief of General Blunt's Staif, in all the cam- 
paigns south of this post. No better officer could be 
found to thoroughly prepare a cavalry regiment for 
the field. 

Considerable interest has been manifested by the 
people of this State in regard to the election for State 
officers 'in Missouri, which took place on the 3rd in- 
stant. The election returns have nearly all been re- 
ceived by the Secretary of State, and they show that 
the Radical or Repulican ticket has swept the State by 
an overwhelming majority. As far as returns have 
28 



434 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

been received from the soldiers in the field, they show 
from their vote that it is very largely republican. It 
is certainly gratifying to contemplate such a grand 
victory for great principles, in view of the disadvant- 
ages with which the loyal people of that State have 
had to contend. 

Lieutenant B. F. Josling, Fourteenth Kansas cav- 
alry, returned to this post on the evening of the 11th, 
with a detachment of his company from Osage Mis- 
sion, where he was sent several days ago to check the 
depredations of a band of guerrillas that recently vis- 
ited that section. He marched over the country al- 
most to the southern line of the State in search of the 
rebels without finding them, and is satisfied from such 
information as he could get, that alter plundering the 
Mission, they went south. 

The season has arrived when wintry looking clouds 
are seen scudding across the sky. When these lower- 
ing clouds obscure the sun now and then, there is a 
kind of fascination in watching the dark shadows chase 
each other over the prairies in rapid succession. 

A cold wave right from tlie arctic regions struck 
southern Kansas on the morning of the 12th, and al- 
ready there are reports of great suffering among the 
refugee families encamped about the oirtskirts of the 
post. The Marmaton River is frozen over solid, which 
is unusual so early in the season. There is a larger 
number of refugee families in this vicinity than I had 
supposed; and in many cases their condition is dis- 
tressing. Many of them are living in rude tents made 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 435 

of bed clothing, or material of a very unsubstantial 
nature. Others during the latter part of summer and 
early autumn, purchased condemned army tents, and 
are making the best of them. But there are not many 
supplied with tents, as there have been no large sales 
of this kind of condemned public property at this post 
during the autumn. Last winter 1 thought that I 
saw a good deal of suffering among the refugees 
around Colonel Phillips' camp, but it did not equal 
the suffering in our midst at the present time. In- 
sufficient fuel for heating purposes, and scanty cloth- 
ing and covering are the principal causes of suffermg 
among these people. We were encamped last winter 
in a wooded region, and the refugees could build great 
log fires to keep themselves warm during intensely 
cold weather. I have frequently seen them standing 
around their blazing fires, with wood generously piled 
on, on cold nights, with expressions of real happiness 
playing over their countenances. And I also saw rol- 
licking children in some of those groups, who seemed 
wholly unconscious of the hardships to which they 
were exposed. But here the camp of the refugee is 
not protected from the chilling effects of the bleak 
northwest winds by heavy forests and bluffs, as it was 
in northwestern Kansas. Nor can the refugees here 
make great wood fires, like the fires farmers make in 
heavily wooded sections where they clear tracts of 
land for cultivation. All the families that I have vis- 
ited recently, burn coal in cooking stoves, even for 
heating purposes. And as most of the stoves 1 saw 



436 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

seem adapted to burning wood instead of coal, these 
people have much trouble in getting their coal to burn. 
At any rate they get only a small quantity of the 
heat from it which it is capable of producing if 
burned to the best advantage. Even those who have 
stoves in which it burns freely, do not use it gener- 
ously on account of their straightened circumstances. 
It is a very cheerless sight, one that I shall not soon 
forget, to see a mother and half a dozen children shiv- 
ering around a stove in which the fuel half refuses to 
burn, or is used in stinted quantities. The hardships 
and privations of our soldiers in the field are often 
very great, but the hardships and suffering of many 
of their families are also entitled to consideration, and 
should not be passed over lightly. It will be surpris- 
ing to me if there is not a great mortality during the 
winter among these people, who have recently exchang- 
ed plain comfortable homes for the cheerless tent, in a 
region where howling winds and chilly blasts increase 
their despondency. 

General Blunt has received authority from the 
War Department to raise another colored regiment of 
infantry from this State, and recruiting officers will go 
to work at once. The two colored regiments already 
raised from Kansas, have taken but a small proportion 
of the able-bodied colored men who have come here 
the last two years. Many of them will, no doubt, 
promptly respond to the present call, and show to the 
country that they feel a sufficient interest in the war 
to take up arms in defense of the Government as well 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 437 

as in defense of their permanent freedom. This State, 
on acconnt of the early struggles in behalf of the abo- 
lition cause, has been an asylum for the colored peo- 
ple since the beginning of the war. And they have 
shown that they are not insensible of the generous 
welcome extended to them by our people, by mani- 
festing a patriotic pride in furnishing their proportion 
of soldiers for the field, as soon as they were permit- 
ted to enlist in the United States service. 

There have been some recent intimations that Colo- 
nel Jennison, of the 15th Kansas cavalry, will take 
command of this post shortly, and that Colonel Blair 
will be relieved and ordered South with his regiment. 
Colonel Jennison is not popular in this section of the 
State, and should he be assigned to the command of 
this post, it is likely that a protest will be sent up by 
the citizens to the commanding General of the De- 
partment. His name has been connected on several 
occasions witli certain transactions that are not sanc- 
tioned by a high code of morals and strict military 
discipline. It is painful to make these remarks in re- 
gard to a man whose whole heart has been in our 
cause. But when he comes forward to occupy an im- 
portant and conspicuous position, his personal charac- 
ter sh juld be carefully and dispassionately examined 
and held up to the public. "We must not forget that 
the characters of our public men will have an immense 
influence in molding the character of the men of the 
rising generation. Nor should we, because he belongs 
to our party, and is working zealously for the success 



438 MEMOIRS OP THE REBELLION 

of the same principles that we are, neglect to criticise, 
m a good tempered spirit, his short-comings. I am 
satisfied that Colonel Jennison's services would be 
more valuable to the Government in some other field. 
Should he make a perfectly honorable record from now 
to the end of the war, it would almost wipe out the 
past. 

The supply train started south on the 20th for Fort 
Gibson and Forth Smith, but will encamp on Dry 
"Wood a few days to wait for the paymaster to 
come down and pay off the escort before they leave. 
Most of the escort belongs to the Fourteenth Regi- 
ment Kansas cavalry, recently organized, and as a large 
number of the men have not been paid since enlistment, 
the amounts due them will be of great assistance in pro- 
viding for the wants of many of their families during 
the coming winter. The need that I mentioned last sum- 
mer, of some method by which the soldiers can send 
their salaries to their families with perfect safety, is 
again felt. In some of the companies nearly all of 
the men are from Missouri, and their families are still 
living in that State, or scattered in this and adjacent 
counties of Kansas. The money they send home will 
therefore have to be trusted in t))e hands of friends, 
whom they cannot hold responsible for its loss by 
accident. Some of the oflicers and soldiers, however, 
will doubtless avail themselves of the Exchange Ofiice 
here, and send their money to their families in cheques. 

On the 25th of November, United States oflicials 
commenced making arrangements to construct a mili- 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 439 

tarj telegraph line between Kansas City and Fort 
Scott immediately. The contract for telegraph poles 
will probably be let in a few days, and their delivery 
along the route commence in a week or so. Tliis line 
is mnch needed in directing the military operations of 
this department. Though the rebels may endeavor to 
destroy portions of it occasionally, it is thought tliat a 
small cavalry patrol can protect it quite effectually. 
It is sure to prove a great assistance to com- 
manding officers along the border, in operating against 
guerrilla forces when they become troublesome again. 
Had this line been in operation when Quantrell made 
his raid on Lawrence last August, troops and citizens 
might have been collected, and directed to take up such 
positions as would have made his escape almost im- 
possible. In the next place, had the line been in 
operation, he probably never would have made the 
raid. Even if the Government had not taken the mat- 
ter up, it would have been a good investment for the 
citizens of Kansas to have taken hold of and comple- 
ted at an early day. The business which the people 
of this section will wish to transact over the line, will, 
perhaps, fully pay the expense of operating it. 

A battalion of the Twelfth Kansas infantry came 
down from Kansas City on the 2Tt}i instant. After 

remaining here a few weeks it will march to Fort 

. * 
Smith to join the Army of the Frontier. This regi- 
ment, since its organization, has been on duty along 
the border. Colonel Adams, its commanding officer, 
is General Lane's son-in-law, and has perhaps been able 



4:iO MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

to keep it from going to the front until now. It is a 
fine regiment; the men are well drilled, and do not 
wish to be regarded as vain "carpet knights." It seems 
that Lieutenant Colonel Hayes has attended to drilling 
it and maintaining its high order of discipline. 

Official dispatches received at this post on the 28th 
from Fort Smith state that General McNeil, who 
recently took command of our troops in that section, 
is getting them in readiness to start on an expedition 
towards Texas. Our forces already occupy and hold 
the country to the Wichita Mountains, a distance of 
about seventy-live miles south of the Arkansas river. 
The activity of our cavalry over the mountainous 
regions of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations and 
southwestern Arkansas, has broken down and worn 
out a good many of our horses. Since our troops have 
occupied tlie country south of the Arkansas river, many 
of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians have shown a 
disposition to return to their allegiance to the Govern- 
ment. There is not, however, among them, such a 
strong sentiment of loyalty and real affection for the 
Government, as among the Cherokees and Creeks. 
These latter people have, from the beginning of the 
war, shown their devotion to the United States, even 
under the most adverse circumstances. The battles of 
Pothloholo, chief of the Creeks, with rebel white and 
Indian troops, during the winter 1861-2, before our 
forces marched into the Indian country, showed a 
chivalrous devotion to the Union cause. When the 
enemy finally became too strong for him, rather than 
submit to rebel rule, he Avithdrew his forces towards 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 441 

southern Kansas, and nearly all his people followed 
him and became voluntary exiles. 

IS'ow that our forces occupy the central and western 
portions of Arkansas, the War Department has author- 
ized the raising of two or three more regiments from 
that State. The numerous desertions from the demor- 
alized armies of Generals Cooper and Shelby, and the 
large numbers of " Mountain Federals" in different 
sections of the State, will enable the recruiting officers 
to get the complement of men for these regiments at 
an early day. " Mountain Feds " is a name given to 
local organizations of Union men who occupy moun- 
tain fastnesses and annoy the enemy, somewhat after 
the same manner that rebel guerrillas annoy our 
troops. There is this difference, however: Rebel 
guerrilla chiefs generally hold commissions from the 
rebel authorities, while the chiefs of " Mountain Fed- 
eral " organizations are endeavoring to hold on to their 
lives as loyal citizens of the United States, until our 
forces can occupy the country and afford them 
adequate protection. We do not know that they have 
ever been charged with murdering their prisoners, 
like some of the guerrilla bands along the border. 

Martin Hart, a prominent Union man from Hunt 
County, in Korthern Texas, crossed Red River several 
months ago, with nearly two hundred loyal Texans, 
and joined our forces in the vicinity of Fort Smith. 
He has for more than a year past, kept alive the Union 
cause in Northern Texas and Southwestern Ar- 
kansas. He was finally captured south of Fort Smith, 
and hung by the rebel authorities. 



CHAPTEK XXIY. 

General Grant defeats the enemy under General Bragg near Chat- 
tanooga — Arrival of a large quantity of Cotton from Fort 
iSmith— Supposed crookedness in regard to it — Guerilla bands 
in Southwestern Missouri — How the people manage to keep 
good Animals in some instances — Temporary suspension in 
the Exchange of Prisoners — General Marmaduke, with two 
thousand men, near the Southern line of Missouri — Perhaps 
the last supply train to Fort Smith — General Ewing orders 
the seizure of the Cotton from Fort Smith— Snow Storm — 
Removal of General Schofield probable — Quantrell's forces 
cross the Arkansas River near Fort Gibson, on the way 
j^Qi-th — Were defeated by Colonel Phillips' troops — General 
Price threatens Fort Smith — Attempt of the enemy to spike 
the seige guns at Fort Scott — The Missouri militia defeat 
Quantrell — A large Rebel force in Southwest Missouri — It 
is driven South— Concluding Remarks. 

Another great battle lias been fought between the 
forces of General Grant and General Bragg, at Look- 
out Mountain, above the clouds, near Chattanooga, 
Tennessee, resultijig in a grand victory for the Union 
arms. After the temporary check to the advance of 
our army under General Rosecrans, on the 19th and 
20th of September, the rebel leaders determined to 
prevent General Grant from reinforcing it, and to use 
every means in their power to crush it. Jeff. Davis is 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 443 

reported to have stated recently, that Rosecrans' army 
in Korthern Georgia, must be crushed, if it took all 
the resources of the Confederacy to do it. But the 
rebel leaders should begin to see by this time, that 
when General Grant takes command of any grand 
division of our army in any section, it is sure to win. 
His presence on the held inspires the troops with con- 
fidence of victory. This confidence enables men to 
brave dangers, endure hardships, and to perform heroie 
actions, which they could not endure or perform un- 
der depressed states of their nervous systems. If a. 
man feels that he is going to get knocked down every 
time he meets his antagonist in a contest, he is not 
likely to come to the "scratch" each succeeding 
round, after the second or third, with much alacrity 
and buoyancy. So with the enemy. They have been 
knocked down so many times during the last year, that 
they are beginning to come to the "scratch" with falter- 
ing steps. In the battle at Lookout Mountain or Chat- 
tanooga, the other day, according to the despatches, they 
lost six thousand prisoners and thirty pieces of artil- 
lery, and about four thousand men killed and wounded. 
The great battles fought in the East and in Tennes- 
see, send a thrill of ]*oy and gladness, or grief and dis- 
appointment, according as they have been favorable or 
unfavorable to our arms, through tliousands of loyal 
hearts even at this great distance from the scenes of 
operation. Smaller battles afiect us in minor degrees, 
until the smallest do not cause even a ripple upon con- 
sciousness. 



444 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

A large sutler's train arrived on the 2d of December 
from Fort Smith, via Fort Gibson, loaded principally 
with cotton, alleged to have been purchased and cap- 
tured from the enemy during General McNeil's expe- 
dition towards Red River. It is whispered that there 
is some crookedness in regard to the manner in which 
certain speculators came into possession of this cotton. 
Speculators following the army and purchasing cotton 
of pretended loyal owners, or disloyal owners, may 
find their titles contested by Government agents, who 
are commissioned to look after such matters. Sharks 
following the army, like sharks following a ship, 
should be watched, and not permitted to appropriate 
our valuable trophies. And in the present case, 
there should perhaps be an investigation to determine 
whether or not this cotton has been purchased in a 
legal manner. It would be more just that its proceeds 
should be distributed to the soldiers, who captured it, 
as prize money, than that it should go into the pockets 
of sharpers. If rebel planters have left their planta- 
tions, and their cotton has fallen into our hands as con- 
traband property, the Government should get the 
market price for it, and speculators not allowed to pick 
it up for merely nominal sums, as they are reported in 
some cases to have been doing. As our armies are 
now getting into the cotton -raising regions, the reve- 
nues of the Government during the year, from the 
sales of contraband cotton, should, if carefully, intel- 
ligently and honestly looked after, amount to several 
millions of dollars. It would be easy enough for our 



ON THE BORDER.-1863. 445 

supply trains, that come up empty every month, to 
bring up contraband cotton, for shipment to Leaven- 
worth and Saint Louis, where there would be a market, 
for it. It is possible, however, that the Arkansas 
Kiver will soon be open to navigation, then it can be 
shipped by steamboat to Saint Louis, and thence by 
rail to New York and Eastern manufacturing cities. 
It can be used to good advantage as breastworks 
on the boats, to protect the troops and crews from 
the fire of guerillas at different points along the- 
river. 

The peaceful condition of things which has existed 
for several weeks past along the border has beea 
slightly disturbed by the appearance of guerrilla 
bands in Southwest Missouri on the 3d instant. But 
they will probably soon, find it an uncomfortable sec- 
tion to operate in, as most of the militia have returned, 
to their stations since Shelby's raid, and are ready to- 
take the field against them. At the diflerent posts in 
Missouri, the horses of the State troops are generally 
in good condition, as they are rarely or never short 
of forage. I mentioned last spyng, from my own ob- 
servations, how the people manage to raise the neces- 
saries of life, even in localities where the men are all 
absent, in either the Union or rebel army. The peo- 
ple have clung to their homes with wonderful tena- 
city, and when the army has burned a portion of the 
rails around their farms, they have generally taken, 
those left to inclose smaller tracts of their lands for 
cultivation. And while the acreage of nearly every 



4A6 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

family has thus been contracted, the means of cultivation 
have also been contracted in about the same ratio. In- 
stead of each family having from one to a dozen line 
horses and mules to put into their fields, as in ante- 
hellum times, it is a rare occurrence now to find a 
family with more than two or three horses or mules, 
which are generally either old or blind. Families 
sometimes try to keep their horses concealed in the 
woods, but this is not very successful as a general 
thing. The great temptation to keep good, vigorous 
animals, it has been suggested^ has in a number of in- 
stances, led to the putting out of the eyes of desirable 
horses or mules. It is a cruel charge to insinuate 
were there no extenuating circumstances. But a 
mother with half a dozen children around her, and her 
husband away in either the Union or Rebel army, 
might, rather than take the chances of being reduced 
to the extremity of seeing them suffer, permit a young 
son, overflowing with a desire to do something heroic, 
to destroy the sight of "Charley," the good, reliable 
family horse. Besides being needed to cultivate and 
gather the crop^ a hoi^e is quite indispensable to take 
the grain, wheat or corn, to the mill, and to fetch back 
the flour or meal. In view of what I have seen of the 
straits to which families in Missouri and Arkansas 
are reduced to get along, I cannot find it in my heart 
to condemn an act like the above, which, in peaceful 
times, would justly be regarded as cruel and barbarous. 
It appears by the latest dispatches from Washing- 
ton, that there is to be a temporary suspension of the 



ON THE BORDER--1863. 447 

exchanging of prisoners of war between the Federal 
and Rebel authorities. At this distance, it is hardly 
safe to form a very pronounced opinion as to the wis- 
dom of the Government in adopting such a course, 
unless the rebel authorities are unwilliniy to exchano-e 
on equal terms. It is surely cause for deep regret and 
even indignation, to constantly hear of the great suf- 
ferings of our soldiers in rebel prisons, while rebel sol- 
diers in our prisons are provided with full rations and 
all the comforts that our soldiers in the field have. It 
is also annoum^ed that the rebel Government refuses 
to exchange colored soldiers held as prisoners of war 
for rebel prisoners that we hold. It is, perhaps, an un- 
looked-for humiliation, that it has come to pass that 
the life of a rebel soldier is worth no more than 
the life of a plantation negro. But if they regard a 
rebel soldier that we hold as worth more to their cause 
tlian the colored prisoner they have captured from us, 
they should, to be consistent, be extremely anxious to 
exchange. They would not hesitate to exchange an 
old and inferior musket for one of our best new pat- 
terns. If they can afford to weaken their own cause 
by pride, we surely need not regret it. They are too 
blind to see that they are fluttering around the lamp 
of their own destruction. 

A dispatch from Springfield, Missouri, of the 6th 
instant, states that General Marmaduke, with a force 
of about two thousand men and several pieces of artil- 
lery, was, on the 3d instant, encamped on White Eiver 
in Arkansas, near the southern line of Missouri. It 



448 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

is believed that he either intends to make a raid on 
Springfield, or to endeavor to capture onr supply 
trains en route between that place and Fort Smith. 
There are, probably, nearly three thousand State 
troops in southwest Missouri, and should he invade 
the State, they will likely soon to be able to check his 
movements, and put him to flight. The energy with 
which they pressed General Shelby last October, and 
their success in capturing his artillery, has given them 
great confidence in their ability to meet an invading 
force on the field. 

General Blunt is still at Fort Smith, but apparently 
without a command, much to the regret of his friends. 
He is, however, attending to some business in connec- 
tion with the recruiting and organizing of the Eleventh 
U. S. colored regiment. A colored regiment ought to be 
raised in that section in a few weeks. It is not likely, 
however, that he cares to assume command of the 
troops there at present, as there is no organized force 
of the enemy in that section that he could hope to 
bring to an engagement very soon, though Price's army 
occasionally assumes a threatening attitude. 

The supply train for Fort Smith moved out on the 
morning of December 13th, under command of Colo- 
nel W. R. Judson, Sixth Kansas cavalry. He will 
have as an escort, including the six companies of the 
Twelfth Kansas infantry under Lieut.-Colonel Hays, 
about eight hundred men. He will go down through 
the border counties of Missouri and Arkansas, instead 
of through the Nation via Fort Blunt. This will 



ON THE BORDER~1863. 44:9 

probably be the last train from this jjlace to Fort 
Smith, as it is thought that Little Rock will immedi- 
ately be made a base of supplies for the army in 
Arkansas. The distance from Little Eock to Fort 
Smith is not so great as the distance from Fort Smith 
to this post. And it is probable, too, that in a month 
or so, light draft steamers can run on the Arkansas 
River, and thns save overland transportation of sup- 
plies to the Anny of the Frontier. Colonel Phillips' 
Indian division at Fort Gibson, however, will perhaps 
continue to be supplied from this place, at any rate un- 
til the spring rise in the Arkansas River will enable 
boats to pass Webber- s Falls. As no large force of 
the enemy can cross to the north side of the Arkansas 
River without our commanding officers at Forts Smith 
and Gibson knowing it; and as his trains will pass 
over a route little infested with guerrillas, they will not 
require very large escorts and batteries of light artil- 
lery, as last spring, to conduct them through safely. 
This post will henceforward be of less importance in 
a military point of view. Still, the immense quantities 
of ordnance, quartermaster and commissary stores 
kept here, will make it of sufficient importance to keep 
a force here adequate to its protection. 

A dispatch from Kansas City states that General 
Ewing j-ecently ordered the seizure of the cotton which 
passed through this place on the 2d instant lor Leav- 
enw^irth. It is also reported that agents of the Gov- 
ernment are on the lookout for more contraband cot- 
ton. This action of General Ewing is highly com- 
29 



450 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

mendable, and may have a wholesome effect on the 
army vultures who are always on hand to gorge them- 
selves on the hard-earned prizes of our soldiers. 

The morning of the 20th the ground was covered 
with four or five inches of snow, and the jingling of 
t?leigh-bells reminded us that we were approaching our 
Kansas mid-winter. From the statements of those who 
have lived in this vicinity for upwards of twenty 
years, it seems that we are having a little severer 
season than usual. The river had scarcely got clear of 
ice from the cold wave of the tenth of I^ovember, when 
it w^as frozen over again on the 18th instant. As a 
general thing the winters are so mild here that the 
ice does not form on the river two inches in thickness, 
and ice-dealers are unable to put up enough to satisfy 
the demands of consumers. Altogether our climate 
may be regarded as desirable; for during the summer 
months our southwest breezes are pure and exhilara- 
ting, reaching us always after having passed through 
the eool strata of the atmosphere over the high pla- 
teaus of Mexico and the Eocky Mountains. There are 
here none of those debilitating effects produced by a 
humid atmosphere in low marshy regions. Though 
the bracing winds blowing over our vast undulating 
prairies may have no perceptible effect on the energies 
of our people in a year or so, I think they will un- 
questionably in the course of a few generations. They 
will probably tend to make them wiry and muscular, 
instead of pulpy and clumsy, like the people of a re- 
gion where the air is saturated with moisture. 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 451 

There is a strong probability that the agitation for 
the removal of General Schoiield from the command 
of this department will be successful in a short time. 
He has not been popular, and is perhaps not the best 
officer that could have been placed at the head of this 
military department, but that he shonld have been 
able to s:ive satisfaction to the factions in Missouri and 
the factions in Kansas, is more than any intelligent 
person should expect. That President Lincoln should 
have all along had confidence in him is surely a good 
deal in his favor, though it does not necessarily make 
him a competent commanding general. 

A detachment of about fifteen men arrived at this 
post on the 24th from Fort Gibson, and they report 
that the enemy are again showing some activity in that 
vicinity and along the Arkansas line. They also state 
that QuantrelPs force is believed to be en route to 
Jackson county, Missouri, where he will commence his 
diabolical business again. A force, reported to be his 
and Standwaitie's, had a lively fight with a portion of 
Colonel Phillips' command near Fort Gibson about a 
week ago, and were defeated and scattered in every 
direction. As the engagement took place on the north 
side of the Arkansas River, it is thought their broken 
detachments have moved northward. 

A dispatch just received from Fort Smith, Arkan- 
sas, states that General Price is collecting his forces 
together and threatening to attack that place. It does 
not seem probable, however, that he will be able to 
organize, out of the Trans-Mississippi rebel forces, an 



452 MEMOIRS OF THE REB'ELLION 

army sufficiently strong to drive onr troops from west- 
ern Arkansas, if General McNeil handles them skill- 
fully. Including Colonel Phillips' Indian division, we 
have an army of about eight thousand men in that 
section, well supplied with artillery. The army under 
General Steele, at Little Rock, is also within co-opera- 
ting distance, should the rebel generals concentrate all 
their troops in Arkansas, to attack General McNeil at 
Fort Smith. Though the enemy may make a bold 
demonstration, since he is holding no particular place 
in Arkansas, yet it is not generally thought, from a 
survey of the field of operations, tliat he will at pres- 
ent risk a general engagement with our victorious 
troops. It is not therefore probable that General Price 
will be able to fulfill his promise in regard to treating 
his soldiers with a Christmas dinner from Federal ra- 
tions at Fort Smith. His troops, instead of being the 
victorious legions of a hundred battles, have been so 
often defeated that it is not easy to conceive with what 
new hope they can be inspired to undertake a vigorous 
campaign against our soldiers, flushed with a continu- 
ous series ot successes. 

An attempt was made on the night of the 28th, 
by an emissary of the enemy to sj)ike one of the Twen- 
ty-four pounder seige guns mounted at Lunette "C. W. 
Elair." The party was probably disturbed by the 
guard on his beat walking to and fro, as he left a rat- 
tail file and hammer on the gun, before completing his 
work to render it useless. Nothing has been found 
which would identify the party engaged in this bold 



ON THE BORDER-1863. 453 

adventure. Colonel Blair lias the four seige guns in 
the Forts here carefully inspected every day that tliey 
may be in perfect order in case of an emergency. The 
hundreds of tons of hay put up in long ricks, the thou- 
sands of bushels of corn in cribs, and the large quan- 
tities of ammunition and arms, of quartermaster and 
commissary supplies here, are great temptations for 
the enemy to attempt a raid on this post for the des- 
truction of this property. And it will require great 
vigilance on the part of the post commander to pre- 
vent its destruction by secret rebel emmissaries. This 
post having been the chief center of our military op- 
erations west of Saint Louis since the war, and the 
Government having kept a considerable force station- 
ed here, have prevented any serious inroads of the 
enemy into southern Kansas. Our people in this and 
adjoining counties have therefore pursued their usual 
avocations as in times of profound peace. Nor have 
guerrilla bands been so troublesome in Yernon county, 
Missouri, directly east of us. as in the counties north 
and south ot it. 

It is now known that QuantrelPs force, after it 
was attacked and dispersed by Colonel Phillips' troops 
some ten days ago, continued to move northeast. In 
a few days after this, however, he collected together 
his scattered detachments, and about the 24th instant 
came in contact with a considerable force of the Mis- 
souri militia cavalry, near the Arkansas line, and was 
again badly beaten and vigorously, pursued. But his 
force soon broke up into small detachments again, and 



454 MEMOIRS OF THE REBELLION 

it is believed to be their intention to rally at some 
point in this vicinity, with the view of attacking this 
place. He is after big game. If he conlcl capture 
and destroy this place, he knows that it would add to 
his notoriety as much as the Lawrence massacre. 
Colonel Blair has sent out detachments of cavalry to 
the south and southeast of this post, so that we shall 
soon know whether he is intending to attack us here^ 
or is making preparations for a raid into Southern Kan- 
sas. It is reported that Quantrell has threatened to 
visit this State before he goes south again, and to leave 
a track more bloody than Lawrence, and the section he 
passes over as desolate as the naked prairies. He seems 
to glory in his savage cruelty, and of being a terror to 
the loyal people of the border, just like an uncivilized 
Indian who is proud of the number of scalps he carries. 
That a man born and brought up in the great State of 
Maryland, one of our oldest States, as Quantrell was^ 
with fair advantages, should head a band of fiends^ 
is quite unaccountable to many. But that he should 
get followers in western Missouri is not so strange, 
since it is well known to those who have lived in the 
West that, for nearly twenty years, the extensive 
freighting business from Independence and Kansas 
City, to New Mexico and other Western Territories, 
has attracted to the two former places adventurers 
and desperate characters from all parts of the country. 
Tliree bushwhackers are reported to have been killed 
on December 28th, near Humboldt, on the Keosho 
Eiver, forty miles west of this post. They belonged 



ON THE BORDER— 1863. 455 

to the party which were in that section about a month 
ago, committing depredations on the property of loyal 
people. In different sections of this State there still 
may be found a few of those wlio were connected with 
the pro-slavery movement, and who came here under 
the Territorial regime^ to make Kansas a slave State. 
Nearly all the old pro-slavery element is of course dis- 
loyal, and the men belonging to it who have not ac- 
tually gone South, sympathize with and sliield their 
friends, when they return home or come into this 
State. A company of cavalry will be stationed at 
Humboldt during the rest of the winter, and it will 
keep detachments patrolling the country along the 
Neosho Eiver below that place, extending to the south- 
ern line of the State. 

Colonel Blair received information on the night of 
the 30th, that a force of the enemy, about fifteen hun- 
dred strong, under Colonel Coffey, was encamped on 
Cowskin prairie, in the southwest corner of McDonald 
County, Missouri, a few days ago. It is not thought, 
however, that they will be able to march up the border 
counties of Missouri, as the militia are in considera- 
ble force in the counties east and northeast of McDon- 
ald County, and have probably moved against them 
already. The party of rebels that were in the vicinity 
of Humboldt recently, it is now supposed belonged to 
Coffey's command. After passing Dry Wood, twelve 
miles south of this post, we have no other troops sta- 
tioned in Southern Kansas, and the pressure from 
Missouri having pushed the enemy into the Cherokee 



456 ME3I0IRS OF THE REBELLION 

Nation, several small detachments were able to marcli 
up the Neosho River, fifty to sixty miles, Avithout re- 
sistance. The main body of Quantrell's men is re- 
ported to be with Coffey, though some detachments of 
them are supposed to have passed near here several 
days ago, on their Avay to Cass and Jackson Counties. 
It is not likely, however, tliat they will find that sec- 
tion very congenipd during a severe winter; besides the 
headquarters of General Ewing, the commanding 
ofiicer of the District of the Border, is at Kansas City, 
adjacent to the region in which Quantrell has been op- 
erating since the war. We may therefore hope that 
they will be speedily driven sonth again. 

The old year is now drawing to a close. The bor- 
der counties of Missouri and Kansas are comparative- 
ly free of guerrillas; and the forces of Coffey and 
Quantrell are now doubtless sullenly retiring beyond 
the mountains in Arkansas or the Indian Country. 
Our armies have been victorious upon almost every 
important field, and though I have been obliged to note 
some domestic dissensions, I am fully convinced that 
the national feeling and love and attachment for the 
old flag of our fathers has grown stronger. But the 
Goddess of Liberty may weep, since a sea of blood 
and tears have been shed m her defense. I have endeav- 
ored to faithfully chronicle the most important events 
connected with the operations of our army along the 
border during the year. I hope that I have not given, 
in a single case, an extravagant and sensational account 
of the number of the enemy killed and wounded in a 



ON THE BOIlDER-1863 45 T 

certain engagement; or of the crimes and cruelties of 
guerrillas. T was early put on my guard in respect 
to making exaggerated statements about various mat- 
ters connected with that division of the army to which 
I belonged. I am perfectly aware that a work filled 
with highly -colored statements is more greedily read 
by a large class of the public, than one containing 
plain solid facts; yet I do not regret the course that I 
harve followed; for I do not fear to ajDpeal to the 
common sense and honesty of those with whom 
I have served in this great struggle, to bear me 
out in my statements. There are no doubt instances 
in whicli I have not done full justice to officers and 
troops. I regret it even more than the injustice 
which was done to me. 

This attempt to commemorate the actions of our 
brave, honest and simple-hearted soldiers, in this cen- 
tral part of our great country, geographically speak- 
ing, has been to me a source of considerable satisfac- 
tion; for I believe that the great contest in which we 
are engaged will be more worthy the study of future 
generations than all the wars of the past. And then the 
thought comes into my mind, will not the millions of 
people who will inhabit these western prairies, plains, 
and fertile valleys, during coming generations, wish to 
know something of the fierce storms that raged along our 
borders during the great rebellion of the slave-owning 
section of our country? The history of the world does 
not furnish another instance of a million of men 
in arms fighting for a great principle — a principle,^ 



458 MEMOIKS OF THE REBELLION 

too, involving the right of each to " life, liberty 
and the pursuit of happiness." It is surely a grand 
thought to contemplate their heroic actions, for, 
unless the conception of justice changes, future gener- 
ations can point to their achievements and say " those 
men fought for a principle, the triumph of which 
has secured to us the blessings we enjoy." I can- 
not bid farewell to the expiring year without my 
thoughts turning with sadness to the thousands vOf 
brave and patriotic soldiers who, during this contest, 
have devoted their lives to their country and to pos- 
terity; and to other thousands who lie at this moment 
upon beds of pain and anguish, with their flesh torn 
and mangled by shot and shell and small arms ; and 
to still other thousands whose hearts are torn and 
bleeding on account of the loss of those in the war 
who were dearest to them on earth. 

But firmly believing that we are near the dawn of a 
brighter day, when the noble sacrifices of our soldiers 
will be universally acknowledged not to have been in 
vain. I can simply say, Old Year, I bid you farewell ! 



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